Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted recognition of the Veteran's mother as his dependent parent starting from April 2, 2015. The decision denies recognition for the Veteran's father prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient response from the examiner regarding herbicide agent exposure and aggravation by other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate neurological examination, and additional VA treatment records are needed.

The Veteran's domestic partnership with J.B. is not considered a marriage for VA purposes, and therefore the Veteran is denied recognition of J.B. as his dependent spouse. The Veteran's stepchild T.B., whose mother is not considered his spouse, is also denied recognition as his dependent child.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reinstate her VA survivor’s pension benefits as of February 1, 2016 due to her income exceeding the applicable maximum annual pension rate.

The Veteran's Crohn’s disease and mucinous adenocarcinoma are granted service connection for purposes of accrued benefits. The cause of death is also granted as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete examination and additional evidence. The Veteran's narcolepsy and dizziness claims are related to service-connected disabilities, but more information is needed regarding whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by medications used to treat those disabilities.

The Board denied retroactive Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits for the college education received by the appellant's mother, as the claim was not submitted within one year of the rating decision granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 26, 2016 for the award of special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance due to the Veteran's condition.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for her service-connected adjustment disorder with depressed mood was granted. From October 31, 2018 forward, the Veteran received a disability rating of 70 percent. Additionally, she was granted TDIU due to her service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypercholesterolemia during service caused or was otherwise related to his arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, which was listed as his immediate cause of death. The appellant is also seeking service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's emergency visit to the Winter Haven Hospital on November 20, 2016 was considered an urgent medical condition due to infection and swelling of a laceration site. The nearest VA facilities were not feasibly available during his emergency, so payment for the treatment at WHH is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for her acquired psychiatric disorder and service connection for sleep apnea, finding that a new VA examination is needed due to the Veteran's testimony indicating her condition may have worsened since her last examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as his claimed disability is not caused or aggravated by his military service, and there is no nexus between his current impairment of concentration and memory and his active duty.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for death pension benefits, finding that the formal application was not received by VA within one year of the intent to file a claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sinus condition may be related to Agent Orange exposure, but needs further examination and opinion to determine if it is also related to asbestos exposure. The case is being sent back for additional development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at a private hospital in Sarasota, Florida on January 9, 2014 due to left shoulder pain from polymyalgia rheumatica.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his ischemic congestive cardiomyopathy was at least in part due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome, also claimed as leukemia, due to radiation exposure because no new and material evidence was received within one year of the October 2012 rating decision.

The case is being remanded for an addendum VA examination to address the relationship between the Veteran's pituitary adenoma and his service-connected conditions, including TBI, traumatic left occipital headaches, mild cerebellar dysfunction, hearing loss, and PTSD.