Other conditions decisions — 2019

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pulmonary fibrosis was not related to service or any service-connected conditions.

The appellant seeks entitlement to accrued benefits for the month of his father's death. The Board denied this claim as there were no due and unpaid benefits at the time of the Veteran's death, and the appellant is not a surviving spouse.

The Board found that the overpayment of VA pension benefits for the period beginning July 1, 2011 due to receipt of SSA benefits was properly created. The appeal is denied.

The Veteran's mild obstructive lung defect has been rated at 10 percent since December 2014. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on the results of Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs).

The Board denied the appellant's claim to be recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death pension benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran prior to his death.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his L5 spondylosis, left inferior articular facet of L4 fracture, without subluxation, with degenerative joint disease (DJD) and intervertebral disc disease (IVDS) is being remanded due to the addition of relevant VA treatment records and SSA medical records to the claims file.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with a previous directive to obtain brain tumor tissue samples and to document all actions taken. The case will be remanded for further development, including obtaining the tissue samples and providing opinions on the Veteran's service connection claims.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is recognized for the purpose of entitlement to death benefits, including Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits and death pension.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant withdrew her appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left eye keratitis and blurred vision has been withdrawn due to the appellant's request.

The Veteran's cause of death, a self-inflicted gunshot wound, is not related to his military service and therefore the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a right hip disability, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of degenerative joint disease was not related to his active military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, effectively dismissing the case.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's periods of active duty for training and inactive duty for training, as well as a need for an additional VA opinion.

The Veteran's death during the appeal means that no apportionment of VA benefits can be made, and thus the appeal is dismissed.