Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board has granted service connection for cause of death due to metastatic cancer, which is considered a direct result of the veteran's service-connected postoperative perforated duodenal ulcer and intestinal obstruction. The appellant also received a statement of the case regarding her claim for Dependents' Educational Assistance pursuant to 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and specifically denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking his pancreatic cancer to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has granted an effective date of March 6, 2001 for the award of compensation for right nephrectomy under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further evidentiary development, including a medical opinion on whether the veteran's elevated cholesterol constitutes a disability and if so, whether it is related to his service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected compartment syndrome of the left foreleg and residuals of a fracture of the right index (minor) finger.

The Board found insufficient evidence showing the veteran's daughter was permanently incapable of self-support by reason of mental or physical defect before turning 18 years old, and denied her claim for VA benefits on that basis.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a hearing, and his claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of chronic myeloid leukemia remains pending.

The Board found that the veteran's arthritis was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service, nor may it be presumed to be incurred due to exposure to Agent Orange. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The VA granted service connection for the veteran's left ankle disorder, characterized as residuals of a left tibiotalar dislocation. The disability is currently rated at 10 percent based on post-traumatic arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and will attempt to obtain additional medical records from various sources.

The Board has ordered the VA to locate and include the veteran's service medical records in the file, as these are necessary for a proper determination of the claim. The case is remanded for this purpose.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining service medical records and personnel records.

The Board found that the December 1947 and October 1964 rating decisions did not contain clear and unmistakable error in denying a compensable evaluation for service-connected disability of the right index finger, and the October 1954 rating decision did not contain CUE in reducing the rating to a noncompensable evaluation.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on May 17, 2004 due to lack of prior authorization and failure to meet the criteria for emergency treatment.

The Board found that the veteran's current vitiligo is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's request for a hearing has been granted, and he will be scheduled for a hearing at the Muskogee RO. The case is being returned to the AMC for scheduling this hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's leukopenia, a laboratory finding without underlying or resulting disability, does not warrant service connection.

The case is being remanded to the regional office for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the regional office. The appellant has the right to this hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete documentation regarding damage to outer garments caused by a service-connected disability.