Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's son is entitled to recognition as a helpless child due to permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining age 18, based on evidence of significant hearing loss and mental disabilities from an early age.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to incomplete service records and missing VA medical records. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these additional records are obtained.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing left inguinal hernia was aggravated during service, and therefore, he is entitled to service connection for its residuals.

The Board found that the veteran's Scheuermann's Disease of the thoracic spine warranted a 20 percent rating effective September 26, 2003. Prior to this date, the disability was rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's pension benefits were properly terminated effective February 14, 2002, due to his incarceration beginning on December 16, 2002.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the current nature and extent of any skin condition found to be present, as well as whether it is related to service. The veteran's claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The veteran's service-connected trench foot of both feet is currently rated at 10 percent each. The Board has granted increased ratings to 20 percent for each foot, finding that the symptoms meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7122.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as she did not meet the definition of a veteran's child at the time she filed her claim.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating of his duodenal ulcer was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent.

The veteran seeks service connection for a colon disorder, which he claims is related to his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The VA has requested additional medical records and will determine whether further development is needed before deciding the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected chondromalacia patella, right knee, currently rated at 10 percent disabling.

The Board found that the inheritance proceeds from December 2003 are properly considered as countable income for purposes of improved pension benefits, resulting in a denial of the appeal.

The veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was not present in service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the veteran did not have a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the veteran's Crohn's disease, which is currently considered a known condition. The RO must obtain any relevant medical records and provide the veteran with an examination to determine if his current disability is related to service.

The appellant's claim for VA educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 of the Montgomery GI Bill is denied as his discharge was not honorable.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's current left thumb condition is related to his service. The veteran needs a VA examination to determine if he currently has tenosynovitis of the left thumb and, if so, whether it is at least as likely as not that this condition began during his military service.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20% for his right hand disability was denied. The RO granted a 20% evaluation effective October 14, 2004.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for obtaining consent forms signed by the veteran for his medical procedures in 1981. The claim will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected cutaneous leishmaniasis, finding that the condition does not meet criteria warranting an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for right eye conjunctivitis and macular degeneration, finding that the claim was properly reopened based on new evidence. The veteran's original June 1964 denial of service connection remains in effect.