Traumatic brain injury (TBI) Board decisions

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied. The VA examinations will be scheduled to address his hypertension, right knee disability, and bilateral foot disorder.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a lumbosacral strain, residuals of excision of warts on the right hand, residuals of frostbite of the nose, and fractures of the fingers and ribs. Service connection was also denied for hemorrhoids, heart condition, prostate cancer, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence, but remanded the case for further development as it pertains to his head injury and left thumb injury.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected injuries are related to his severe lymphedema, peripheral vascular disease, and osteomyelitis. Therefore, service connection is granted for a vascular injury and lymphedema to the lower extremities; and osteomyelitis of the left lower extremity, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the service-connected PTSD did not substantially or materially contribute to the cause of the veteran's death. The VA and private medical records do not show a causal link between the veteran's PTSD and his cardiovascular disease, which was found to be caused by other risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity.

The Board granted a compensable rating of 20 percent for the service-connected chip fracture of the left ankle and found that the veteran is not entitled to an increased rating for tinea pedis. The claim for service connection for frostbite of the feet was also granted.

The veteran's claim for earlier effective dates and a total rating based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to the need for VCAA compliance.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection on the basis of new and material evidence, but denied the claim as there is no competent medical evidence establishing that the veteran suffered frostbite of his right foot during service.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder on the right calf and for residuals of frostbite in the hands, finding no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's PTSD is granted as it was incurred in active military service. The VA will obtain a medical examination for the veteran's shell fragment wound and frostbite claims.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the February 20, 1956 and November 19, 1971 decisions denying service connection for peptic ulcers, diarrhea, residuals of malnutrition, frostbite of the feet, and athletes foot.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have left foot disability including left leg amputation residuals due to a frostbite injury or other event during service.

The Board denied service connection for frostbite of the feet, finding no evidence to support a diagnosis of cold injury during service and concluding that current foot problems are not related to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's diagnosed peripheral polyneuropathy, claimed as frostbite residuals, cannot be related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no current residuals of frostbite and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cause of death was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor as a result of a service-connected disability.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in loss of use of his hands and feet, qualifying him for assistance in acquiring an automobile or other conveyance with special adaptive equipment.

The veteran's initial increased rating for frostbite residuals in the feet was granted, but no new or material evidence has been presented to reopen his service connection claims for arthritis and a psychiatric disorder.