Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and readjudicating the claim on direct and secondary service connection bases.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has reopened the claim and found that new and material evidence was submitted. However, the appellant's marriage to the veteran did not meet the criteria for recognition as his surviving spouse for entitlement to DIC benefits.

The veteran's service connection claims for bilateral small calcaneal spurs of the right and left feet were denied. However, his claim for an increased evaluation for service-connected adjustment disorder was granted with a rating of 70 percent.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's disc disease of the neck to his military service and denied his claim.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected thoracic spine condition with myofascial pain syndrome, as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that the veteran's stomach cancer, which caused his death in April 1986, was not related to service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse due to lack of a valid marriage and because Puerto Rico does not recognize common-law marriages.

The Board has determined that the veteran's partial left hand index finger amputation was incurred in service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's otitis externa and swelling of the feet are service-connected, with a 10% evaluation assigned for each.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for duodenal ulcer, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and anxiety reaction.

The Board found that A.J.F. was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to reaching the age of 18 due to his cerebral palsy, and thus denied the claim for re-recognition as a helpless child.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left foot disability, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board found that the veteran's ulcerative colitis was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not related to his PTSD. The TDIU claim was granted as the veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the veteran's coronary artery disease was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD and/or multiple orthopedic disabilities. The evidence did not support a clear causal relationship between psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, and heart disease.

The Board has granted a separate, compensable evaluation of 20 percent for left knee instability under Diagnostic Code 5257, in addition to the initial 10 percent evaluation already assigned for limitation of flexion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current multilevel spondylolysis of L4-5 and L5-S1 with marked degenerative changes is service-connected, as it is considered to be related to an in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to its inextricability with the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for colon cancer, finding no current disability and no positive association between herbicide exposure and colon cancer.