Other conditions decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records related to accrued benefits and considering their relevance to the service connection claim. The claims of entitlement to service connection for cause of the veteran's death and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35 are also inextricably intertwined with the accrued benefits claim.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether in-service treatment contributed to the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or on the basis of being housebound due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated notice of what evidence has been received and not received by VA as well as who has the duty to request evidence. The veteran's service-connected traumatic loss of teeth numbers 9, 10, and 11 is being examined to determine if it was due to loss of substance of body of maxilla or mandible without loss of continuity.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right foot disability and arthritis are not related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and skin disability, both claimed as due to exposure to Agent Orange, were denied. The Board also found that the veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim of PTSD. For the period prior to April 2, 2001, the veteran was granted an increased evaluation for degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board has granted increased disability ratings for the service-connected right and left foot cold injury residuals, but denied an increase in rating for the service-connected left hand condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service medical records and the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed muscle and joint pain.

The veteran's disability, a right hand crush injury with residual deformities, does not warrant an increased evaluation beyond the current 10 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for special monthly pension at the housebound rate due to a denial of need for regular aid and attendance, but remanded the issue of SMP based on the need for A&A.

The VA did not find that the veteran's right eye disability was caused by carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill during the July 2003 surgery and subsequent treatment. The Board denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for post-operative residuals of a herniated nucleus pulposus L4-L5 and L5-S1, currently rated at 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the removal of the uterus is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and thus denied the veteran's claim for secondary service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his adenocarcinoma to his in-service gastrointestinal complaints or to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being added to the record and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left ear disability, finding that there is no evidence of such a condition within one year of discharge and concluding that it was not incurred or aggravated during active duty. The issue of an annual clothing allowance remains pending.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that the underlying cause was not related to service.

The Board has granted an extension of the delimiting date for payment of Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits until January 26, 2006.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection as there was no medical evidence linking his current back disability to his military service.

The claim for reimbursement from accrued amounts due a deceased beneficiary, for payment of the veteran's burial expenses is denied as the appellant did not file her application within one year after the veteran's death.