Other conditions decisions — 2006

The VA has granted service connection for gout and assigned a 20 percent disability rating, effective December 19, 1996. The veteran's gout is currently manifested by multiple exacerbations per year but does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board found that the veteran does not suffer from an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other mental health condition for which service connection could be granted.

The appellant's claim for VA benefits as a child of the veteran is denied because he does not meet the legal requirements to be considered a child under VA regulations.

The Board found no competent medical evidence of a current low blood pressure disability resulting from VA treatment in December 2000, and thus denied the veteran's claim.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected left leg varicose veins, finding that persistent edema and stasis pigmentation or eczema with persistent ulceration meet the criteria for this rating.

The veteran is seeking service connection for arthritis of the lower extremities, which he claims is secondary to his already service-connected post-traumatic arthritis of the lumbar spine. The case has been remanded due to a request for a Board hearing.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for a 60% rating for service-connected granuloma, left lung and the grant of individual unemployability (TDIU). The veteran's claim was based on his service-connected condition, but not prior to March 31, 2003.

The veteran's compensation benefits are being reviewed for an increased apportionment due to changes in the appellant's financial situation. The case is remanded for further development of her financial statements and compliance with court-ordered child support payments.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a herniated intervertebral disc, but denied the claim on its merits.

The Board has granted payment or reimbursement for the cost of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on September 22, 2003 at Cape Coral Hospital due to emergency treatment for labyrinthitis.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient medical evidence supporting the veteran's claim of a service-connected sleep disorder.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for a VA examination and compliance with VCAA requirements.

The Board determined that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the April 1973 RO Administrative Decision denying DIC benefits to the appellant, as the evidence showed that she was at fault in the continuation of the separation between her and the veteran.

The Board denied all claims for increased ratings as the evidence did not show that the veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease resulted in limitation of motion or pain sufficient to warrant a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The case is being remanded to the RO for review of additional evidence received after the most recent Supplemental Statement of the Case, including any new evidence from the Naval Hospital in Oakland. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death will be reconsidered.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against establishing a service connection for the cause of death due to Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, low-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and/or low-grade lymphoblastic lymphoma. The veteran's death was not causally connected to any service-connected disability.

The Board found that the reduction in the veteran's disability rating for osteomyelitis was proper, and that the requirements for restoring his special monthly compensation rate were not met.

The Board has restored service connection for a fungal infection of the feet as secondary to diabetes mellitus. The veteran's peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities is rated as noncompensable.

The VA determined that the appellant's monthly income, including unreimbursed medical expenses, exceeded the maximum allowable for pension benefits, leading to a denial of her claim.