Other conditions decisions — 2007

The RO denied the appellant's request to be recognized as the deceased veteran's surviving spouse for purposes of receiving VA benefits, including Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits, death pension benefits, and accrued benefits.

The Board denied an effective date prior to June 11, 1996 for the grant of a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as there was no evidence within the year preceding the June 11, 1996 claim that the veteran was unemployable.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including deviated nasal septum, chloracne, porphyria cutanea tarda, knots on the hands, peripheral neuropathy, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and glomerulonephritis. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for deviated nasal septum.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected chronic prostatitis, finding that there is no current evidence of the condition.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence relating bilateral retinal detachments to any recognizable period of active service, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case back to the RO for additional development, including obtaining an opinion regarding the significance of a metallic foreign body found during a June 2004 VA examination and its relation to the veteran's left forearm disorder.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and secondary service connection were denied. The residuals of fractures of the left tibia and fibula are rated at 20 percent, while the torn left extensor hallucis longus is rated at 10 percent.

The veteran withdrew his appeal seeking reimbursement for medical expenses incurred on April 25, 2003.

The Board found that the appellant's pre-existing appendectomy residuals did not increase in severity during his 17-day period of active duty for training, and thus denied service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, as defined by VA regulation. Therefore, the claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is required, including obtaining deck logs from the USS Kansas City, obtaining SSA disability benefits records, and obtaining VA outpatient treatment records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's ulcerative colitis does not warrant an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board found that the veteran was born with hemoglobin SC disease and did not have a sickle cell crisis during service. The Board concluded that her condition was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a neurologic examination to determine if the veteran's current neurocardiogenic presyncope disorder began during his period of service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for infertility due to exposure to ionizing radiation, finding that there was no competent evidence of such exposure and thus denying the claim.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of an earlier claim for VA death pension benefits prior to August 1, 2001. The appellant's application was received on this date and the effective date assigned is September 1, 2001.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for panic disorder. The VA examination report and VA outpatient records provide medical opinions indicating a link between the veteran's current diagnosis of panic disorder and her service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's colon cancer was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conversion disorder does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a left eye disability, as there is no evidence of any prior claim filed by the veteran.