Real decisions, in plain English

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome was granted service connection as it is at least as likely as not secondary to his in-service injury.

degenerative arthritis of the spine with intervertebral disc syndrome

The Veteran's right and left knee strains, as well as shin splints, were granted increased ratings. The Veteran also received special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from October 25, 2017 to March 11, 2024.

Right Knee Strain · Left Knee Strain · Shin Splints

The Veteran's left foot gout is granted with an initial rating of 30 percent.,Service connection for right foot gout is granted.

Left Foot Gout · Right Foot Gout

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the AOJ failing to schedule an informal conference as required by regulation.

loss of left testicle · surgical scar · erectile dysfunction

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.

Cervical Spine Disability · Right Knee Strain (Painful Motion) · Right Knee Instability

The Board has denied service connection for neck, upper back, lower back, bilateral hip, bilateral ankle, and foot disabilities. Service connection for a left shoulder disability is also denied.

neck disability · upper back disability · lower back disability · bilateral hip disability · bilateral ankle disability · foot disability · left shoulder disability

The Board has dismissed the appeal for entitlement to TDIU as it was granted during the pendency of the appeal. The claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

obstructive sleep apnea · hypertension · migraine headaches

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted to assess the severity of the Veteran's left knee disability.

left knee degenerative osteoarthritis

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and his increased evaluation for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains denied.

somatic symptom disorder with major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol abuse disorder

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD was denied.,An effective date of February 5, 2021, but no earlier, was granted for the award of TDIU.

Other specified trauma and stressor related disorder (PTSD)

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service injury during active duty and his continuous symptoms since then.

lumbosacral strain · degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine · intravertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) · multilevel disc space narrowing · lumbar radiculopathy

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating, compensable rating, and extension of temporary total evaluation for his lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing all claims in April 2022.

degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine · lumbar spine scar

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for liver cancer and an increased rating for irritable bowel syndrome has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

liver cancer · irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the USS Intrepid within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam.

ischemic heart disease

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the claims of entitlement to a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for anterior uveitis, right eye, and service connection for restless leg syndrome, RLE. The claim for service connection for insomnia is dismissed as moot because it was granted with an effective date based on the date of the Veteran's application.

bilateral hearing loss · anterior uveitis, right eye · restless leg syndrome, RLE · insomnia

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability has been rated at 100 percent, and he is already receiving special monthly compensation (SMC) under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s). Therefore, there remains no issue for the Board to resolve regarding entitlement to Total Disability due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

Psychiatric disability

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

Right Shoulder Arthritis · Residuals of a Partial Tear of the Left Ankle Achilles Tendon · Fibrosarcoma (claimed as Thyroid Cancer)

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of petroclival tentorial meningioma and hemangioma of the liver due to untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.

petroclival tentorial meningioma · hemangioma of the liver

The Board denied the Appellant's request to be recognized as a substitute party and dismissed her appeal for burial benefits due to an improper concurrent election of review options.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating greater than 10 percent.

left lower extremity radiculopathy · right lower extremity radiculopathy