Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension Management Center to request a Medical Expense Report from the Appellant for medical expenses paid in 2011, as part of the remand process due to incomplete information.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding her service connection claim and her total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination and readjudication of the TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran has ever had dementia or any other cognitive disorder resulting in memory impairment during the appeal period. The examiner is also asked to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are due to military service or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's election for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits was not irrevocable, and his appeal is granted.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the cause of death to active service or any incident of service.

The Veteran's additional disabilities were not caused or aggravated by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault by VA, or by an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder and whether it is related to his service. The claim for service connection will be denied until such time as a competent medical opinion can be provided.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his bronchogenic carcinoma and chronic obstructive lung disease did not have their onset during service or for many years thereafter and were not otherwise related to any in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to a lack of evidence in the claims file regarding her treatment and subsequent complications.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's metastatic adenocarcinoma was related to his service-connected residuals of a cerebrovascular accident and attempting to verify the appellant's representative's allegations regarding possible exposure to ionizing radiation in service.

The Veteran's service-connected left fifth finger disability includes degenerative joint disease at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints, resulting in functional impairments equivalent to those caused by amputation at the PIP joint. The Board has granted a 10 percent rating under DC 5156 for this condition.

The Veteran's right thumb disability has resulted in symptoms such as painful motion and weakness, but has not resulted in a gap of more than two inches between the Veteran's right thumb pad and the fingers. The Veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for his right thumb disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for psychosis, finding that the May 1978 rating decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board found that the reduction from a 60 percent to a 30 percent rating for hypertrophic lichen planus was warranted due to improvement in the Veteran's condition, as evidenced by VA examination and outpatient records showing less extensive involvement of her skin.

The Board found that the Veteran's countable income exceeded the applicable VA pension income limits and denied his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a nervous condition. The evidence received does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for residuals of cold injury of the right foot has been dismissed as his request was satisfied by the grant of a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board denied the veteran's claim as they could not verify service with the Merchant Marine and found that even if verified, such service would not qualify for VA compensation benefits due to it occurring after August 15, 1945.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance will be reconsidered.