Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board denied the veteran's increased rating claims for his service-connected mid and lower back disability, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The RO had initially granted service connection in September 2003 with a 10 percent initial rating effective December 1982.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than July 18, 2000 for the assignment of separate ratings of 10 percent for each lower extremity affected by varicose veins was granted. The effective date is set at July 18, 1999.

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a right foot fracture are severe and grants a 30 percent disability evaluation.

The Board found that the cause of death, status asthamaticus, was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating of his service-connected upper back disability, which was currently rated at 20 percent.

The veteran's claim for a certificate for clothing allowance under 38 C.F.R. § 3.810 is being remanded to the VAMC in Louisville, Kentucky due to failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The case is being remanded for additional development of the veteran's medical records from various healthcare providers.

The veteran's claim for apportionment of his VA benefits was denied because the appellant, who claimed to be a former spouse, did not meet the legal requirements as her marriage to the veteran was not valid under the law.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for her husband's cause of death, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation of 10 percent for residuals of a fracture of the right ring finger, based on functional loss due to chronic flexor digitorum profundus avulsion and decreased grip strength.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for Reiter's Syndrome with conjunctivitis, finding that a rating in excess of 10 percent is not warranted.

The veteran's Gilbert's syndrome is found to be related to service, and granted. The lung disorder claim is denied as there is no evidence linking it to asbestos exposure or service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing documents and VCAA notice issues. The appellant's claim for burial benefits is pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and therefore, his claim for service connection is denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected fracture of the right pelvis does not result in any current disability, and thus, a compensable evaluation is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current pulmonary difficulties are not related to his service-connected residuals of a right middle lobe lung resection and thus, he is appropriately rated at the noncompensable level.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional consideration of new evidence and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) for his peptic ulcer disease claim, as well as a statement of the case (SOC) for his TDIU rating issue.

The veteran's claimed conditions, including muscle cramps, loss of libido, shortness of breath, skin rashes, extremity numbness and tingling, and diarrhea with alternating constipation, were not found to be related to her service or the Persian Gulf War. The Board concluded that these disorders did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to undiagnosed illness.

The VA has determined that the appellant's back disability, which is service-connected and rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5237, does not warrant a higher rating based on current evidence of record.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected disabilities were denied. The VA determined that the current evaluations adequately compensate him for the residuals of his injuries.