Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the veteran's left elbow disability from November 30, 1988 through April 22, 1992. The claim for increased ratings beyond this period is denied.

The VA denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of a gastrectomy performed in December 1992, including numbness in the lower extremities, as there is no competent medical evidence linking any current disability to the procedure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating of 20 percent for his service-connected post-operative residuals of a fracture of the left femur with arthritis of the left hip, finding that further development was required due to the lack of evidence on which to base such a grant.

The Board has granted a rating of 20 percent for each foot's chronic Achilles tendinitis, effective as of the date of receipt of the claim.

The VA has determined that the appellant's service-connected residuals of a L-2 fracture and left clavicle fracture do not warrant evaluations higher than the current 20 percent and 10 percent ratings, respectively.

The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including a VA skin examination and obtaining medical records. The RO should consider whether staged ratings are applicable.

The Board found that the claim was not well-grounded and denied the veteran's entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the cause of his death on the basis of HIV as a result of VA treatment.

The appellant is denied VA benefits as a helpless child of the veteran because he is married.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's gastrointestinal hemorrhage or ulcers to his service-connected post traumatic stress disorder, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand is not service-connected, and his claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 based on VA surgeries in December 1994 and July 1996 was denied. The veteran's increased rating claim for residuals of a fracture of the right fifth metacarpal is also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for residuals of a stress fracture of the right tibial condyle, finding that the schedular criteria did not meet her claim. The service-connected stress fracture residuals do not cause a need for recurrent hospitalizations or result in an unusual disability picture which renders inapplicable the regular schedular rating criteria.

The case is being sent back to the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Philadelphia for further review of all original records, including copies of selected documents from a folder prepared by the MAS concerning the claim. The veteran's representative has requested that these records be associated with the basic claims folder as part of the appellate record.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left thigh with superficial sensory nerve paralysis do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 40 percent.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to a lack of evidence linking his leukemia to service, including exposure to radiation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral pes cavus, Steindler stripping of the left foot does not warrant an increased rating beyond the current 30 percent.

The veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized private medical services received during hospitalization from July 6 to July 11, 1996 was denied as the condition did not meet the criteria for VA reimbursement.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and CUE issues, as well as his request for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected Crohn's disease, currently rated at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death (ventricular tachycardia, cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure) was not caused by or a result of his service-connected disabilities. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.