Other conditions decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection and secondary service connection claims. Specifically, a VA opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's hypogonadism is related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability or any other service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to non-compliance with previous directives and failure to address the issue of reopening the right hip disorder claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic back pain, with functional loss, is at least as likely as not related to his service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected back and leg pain prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 19, 2018. The Board has remanded the case for further consideration of TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for MRSA is being remanded due to a lack of a medical opinion regarding the proximate cause of his MRSA.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's multiple myeloma is related to his service, specifically exposure to burn pits. The examiner must provide a clear rationale and discuss relevant medical principles.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral posterior subcapsular cataract and left eye retinal detachment is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for headaches due to his August 2011 to September 2012 eye surgeries.

The appeal of the issue regarding payment or reimbursement of medical expenses from Catalina Dental was dismissed as no decision on this matter had been issued by VA.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, specifically degenerative joint disease (arthritis), were granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for limited extension of the right and left knees beginning February 7, 2020. The claim was denied for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's surviving spouse is an eligible substitute claimant for the purposes of processing the retroactive adjustment of pension benefits from September 28, 2018 to July [REDACTED], 2019 due to unreimbursed medical expenses. The matter is REMANDED for further adjudication based on substitution.

The Board denied service connection for ulcerative colitis (UC) as the evidence did not show that it was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeal for restoration of his spouse, S.L., and child, C.L., as dependents for additional VA dependency benefits. The overpayment was found to be invalid.

The Board has remanded the claims for medical expense reimbursement due to incomplete records. The AOJ is instructed to reconstruct and upload all relevant documentation.

The Board denied service connection for rhabdomyolysis and hyperkalemia related to it, as well as compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for both conditions due to the lack of evidence showing that VA treatment caused additional disability or was due to an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for new VA examinations and for obtaining outstanding medical records.