Other conditions decisions — 2005

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his right brachial plexus injury.

The Board has determined that the appellant is the veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of entitlement to VA improved death pension benefits.

The veteran is seeking to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. The RO has not obtained the SSA records, which may be relevant to his disability benefits application.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise with regard to whether the veteran's current left eye infection and early cataract are related to his service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise, and thus grants service connection for a retinal disorder secondary to antimalarial medication.

The VA determined that the veteran's lung disorder was not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for chronic gastrointestinal disorder to include Crohn's Disease, finding that new and material evidence supports this claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's status post partial colectomy for colon cancer is related to his asbestos exposure in service, and thus grants the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a left eye disorder present in service or etiologically related to service. The VA examiner concluded that the left eye visual acuity is not related to his service-connected right eye disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected brain disease due to trauma, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found no evidence of a left knee disability during service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse is being remanded due to questions regarding the marital status and potential divorce proceedings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral cataracts with resultant pseudophakia and Dupuytren's contracture of the hands are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, and thus granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for schizoaffective disorder, but as no new and material evidence was presented to connect this condition to active service, the claim remains denied.

The veteran's death was initially listed as caused by alcoholism, but a revised death certificate now indicates it may have been due to an underlying condition such as syphilis. The appellant is seeking service connection for the cause of her husband's death.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to issues related to service connection for congestive heart failure, including questions about the identity of examiners and additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service and post-service medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and needs further development before a decision can be made.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for arthritis of the hands due to new and material evidence submitted since the January 1989 rating decision. However, the claim is denied as there is no current disability found.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's bilateral sacroiliac joint sclerosis and hip/pelvis disability, effective May 2000. The RO also continued the 10 percent rating for the left hip/pelvis disability.