Other conditions decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran did not sustain a fracture of the skull in service and denied his claim for residuals of a fractured skull with plate in head.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current continuing gynecological disability and her claim for service connection is denied. The evaluation of tachycardia, status post radio frequency ablation remains pending as further development is needed to determine if an increased rating is warranted.

The Board found that the veteran's right eye blindness was not caused by VA fault or an unforeseeable event, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA clinical records and arranging for a VA orthopedic examination of the veteran's right elbow. The RO/AMC will then re-adjudicate the claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hip disorders, finding that new evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen his claim for a right hip disorder. The left hip disorder was also found not incurred in or aggravated by active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notification and assistance provided by VA. The claim will be reconsidered after proper notice is given.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the mouth, finding that there was no credible evidence of an in-service injury and that his current condition is not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for micturition syncope and the initial disability rating for metatarsalgia of the left foot. The veteran's claim for micturition syncope was reopened based on new evidence, but the RO found that this evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal regarding his delimiting date for educational assistance benefits, holding that the assigned date of December 5, 2001, was correct.

The Board has ordered additional development due to missing service medical records and the need for a VA examination. The case will be returned to the Board after further review.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to reimbursement for burial expenses paid on behalf of her mother, but requires additional information regarding income and medical expenses from both T. M. and E. A.

The Board denied service connection for nerve damage of the left foot and leg, claimed as a residual of a gunshot wound of the left calf.,The Board also denied service connection for an abscess of the right groin.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD. The case has been remanded due to procedural issues and potential VCAA compliance.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right elbow disability is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a psychiatric opinion regarding the appellant's sanity at the time of discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for her service-connected right and left knee disabilities, as well as her claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical services. The case is remanded to obtain additional evidence and provide proper notification under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's gum disability to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected status post cholecystectomy with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction was granted a 30 percent evaluation from August 1, 2000.

The veteran died from heart failure due to a heart attack. At the time of his death, he had service-connected disabilities including PTSD, splenectomy, limitation of motion of the left ankle, hiatal hernia, tennis elbow on the right, tinnitus, and hearing loss. However, none of these conditions were rated as 100% disabling for at least ten years prior to his death or continuously rated as totally disabled for five years after discharge from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for an epidermoid tumor of the splenium of the corpus callosum and his cause of death due to systemic sepsis as a consequence of bilateral pneumonia and urinary tract infection, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to herbicides.