Other conditions decisions — 2008

The veteran's claim for excessive income for VA pension benefits has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and earlier effective date for her PUD with gastritis, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current defective vision is not attributable to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease, finding that the veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are attributable to his service-connected hypertension. The skin disorder claim is being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for conjunctivitis of the right eye, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected pterygium of the right eye.

The veteran's residuals of compression fracture at T11 and T12 have been rated as 20 percent disabling since the appeal period began. The Board found that his thoracic spine motion has never shown limitation to less than 30 degrees, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran's lung disorder did not manifest during service or for many years thereafter, and there is no evidence linking it to his military service. Therefore, service connection for a lung disorder is denied.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right knee disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support ratings higher than the current 20 percent and 10 percent evaluations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current low back disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for a back disability.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's lung disability to his military service or his service-connected Hodgkin's disease. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of use of both feet and entitlement to an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only, finding no evidence of such a condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current symptoms of head injury can be attributed, at least in part, to events during his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) from October 1974 to May 1975. As a result, service connection is granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including consideration of whether an extraschedular evaluation is warranted due to the impact on his employment.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of a missile wound to the right calf are currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum available rating under Diagnostic Code 5312. The RO has not granted any additional ratings for other issues.

The Board found that the veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the left pectoralis region warranted an increased evaluation from 20 percent to 30 percent.

The veteran's service-connected Osgood-Schlatter's disease of both knees was initially rated at 10 percent. The Board granted a temporary total evaluation for convalescence following right knee surgery and denied increased evaluations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for superficial thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism, finding that these conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The VA denied the veteran's request for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right tibia based on muscle damage, as the evidence did not show moderately severe muscle damage.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for residuals of a head injury with a dissociative reaction.