Other conditions decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for Harada's disease with blindness, finding that no new and material evidence had been presented.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of a head injury or spine disability, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a rating based on incapacitating episodes or other criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran has an autoimmune disorder related to his military service. The secondary claim for depression as secondary to an autoimmune disorder will be considered in conjunction with this decision.

The veteran's claim for a waiver of an overpayment of VA educational assistance is being remanded due to the need for a travel Board hearing.

The veteran did not have any pending claims for VA benefits at the time of his death, so the appellant is denied accrued benefits.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice regarding disability rating and effective date.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as she is not a child for VA compensation purposes and thus ineligible for DIC benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have residuals of a mouth injury related to his military service and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for arterial circulatory, respiratory, prostate, and colonic polyps disorders, all presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for Bell's palsy of the left side is being remanded due to inadequate December 2000 VA examination, incorrect application of diagnostic code, and failure to infer claims of service connection for headaches and eye disorders.

The Board denied the veteran's request for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on May 3 and May 4, 2004 at Gunderson Hospital in La Crosse due to lack of prior authorization and because the treatment was not considered an emergency.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for both the left and right foot hallux valgus with tendon transplant and bunionectomy, effective from September 2006.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right foot disorder, including pes cavus and arthritis, was neither incurred nor aggravated during military service. The Board also found that the condition is not caused or aggravated by residuals of a right fourth and fifth toe amputations. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a sleep disorder or narcolepsy during service and concluded that the veteran's current condition is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cancers of the throat and tongue, to include as due to herbicide exposure. The claim was not granted because there is no medical evidence showing that the veteran has, or ever had, cancer of the throat.

The VA has determined that the veteran's retrolisthesis of the C3-C4 vertebrae warrants a 30 percent rating, which is the maximum available under current criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran suffers from disabilities of the back, hips, and left leg. The claims will be readjudicated after all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for septum deviation and granted it on the merits, finding that the veteran's pre-existing condition was aggravated by his military service.

The appellant seeks compensation for additional left lower extremity disability and related residuals of falls allegedly due to a March 1998 left knee surgery performed in a VA hospital. The case is remanded for further development, including obtaining private and VA treatment records prior to the surgery.