Other conditions decisions — 2008

The Board found that there is no evidence of a head injury or brain damage in service, and the veteran's current cognitive impairment does not appear to be related to his military service.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration.

The Board has determined that the loss of the distal phalanges of the left ring and long fingers is due to service-connected residuals of a left hand fibrolipoma removal, granting service connection for this condition.

The appellant is not entitled to accrued benefits as the veteran's spouse because no claims were pending at the time of the veteran's death.

The veteran is contesting the creation of an overpayment for education benefits. The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the overpayment was properly created.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive retinopathy and an increased rating for hypertension. The evidence did not support a finding of secondary service connection or an increase in disability due to his service-connected condition.

The veteran withdrew their appeal, thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for neurological impairment of the surgical scar related to a March 1997 right side nephrostomy tube placement surgery, which was performed due to his service-connected urethrolithiasis, nephrolithiasis and nephrolithotomy.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam. Therefore, the claim for service connection for cause of death is denied.

The Board has granted an increased evaluation of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected residuals of right radial fracture, effective from March 27, 2003.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to new evidence of a diagnosis. However, the claim is still pending as further verification of stressors and an examination are needed before service connection can be granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for malaria and left epididymitis, as well as a claim for a 10 percent rating based on multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not support granting any of these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for a dermatological examination to determine if the veteran's skin disability is related to service, including exposure to herbicides or mustard gas. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new evidence.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a paratracheal mass and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's respiratory problems, claimed as secondary to asbestos exposure during service, were not incurred or aggravated by his military service and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the appellant needs further development of her claim, including providing VCAA notice and obtaining any relevant medical records. The appeal is remanded to the RO/AMC for this purpose.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility for VA death benefits due to a lack of qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces.

The Board has determined that there is no nexus between the veteran's current lung disability and service, and thus denied his claim for service connection. The right hand disability was also found to be unrelated to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the appellant's claim for VA death benefits, resulting in a denial of the appeal.