Other conditions decisions — 2008

The Board has decided that the veteran's degenerative disk disease and spondylosis are not service-connected, but granted service connection for chronic lumbar strain/mechanical low back syndrome.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a prostate disorder, finding no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a dental condition as residual of oral surgeries, finding that the in-service oral surgeries did not constitute service trauma and concluded that the veteran was better off after the procedures than prior to them.

The Board found that the veteran's venous insufficiency is not due to an undiagnosed illness or service-connected hypertension, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction due to a circumcision and assigned a 20% rating for instability of the right knee. The issue of an increased evaluation for limitation of motion of the right knee is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for VCAA compliance, including providing notice on reopening service connection claims.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a burial allowance in excess of $2,000 due to the maximum amount authorized by law having already been paid.

The Board denied service connection for fungus of the feet and ears, as well as other issues including increased ratings for asbestosis and PTSD. The veteran's claim was not reopened.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral skin condition of the forearms, finding no evidence that it was incurred during or aggravated by service, including as secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since the June 1982 rating decision is not new and material, and thus does not serve to reopen the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has found that the veteran's mechanical neck pain is incurred during active service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an initial higher rating in excess of 10 percent for postoperative residuals, left acromioclavicular joint separation, remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and the need for an audit of the overpayment, as well as a request for an updated financial status report from the veteran.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the award of NSC death pension benefits should be July 1, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for non-service-connected disability pension benefits, finding that new and material evidence had not been received since the July 1984 denial.

The Board has determined that additional development is required before the adjudication of the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. This includes providing Hupp compliant notice, obtaining missing VA medical records and Poteau Hospital records, and obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's service-connected disabilities were a principal or contributory cause of his death.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining an opinion regarding his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's left kidney disorder, resulting in residuals of a left nephrectomy, was due to his congenital condition and not aggravated by service. Therefore, he is denied service connection for this issue.

The veteran's right hand scar, a residual of a laceration injury from service, has been rated at 10 percent since August 14, 1991. The current rating is the highest assignable under Diagnostic Code 7804 for superficial and painful scars.

The Board found that the veteran's left eye disorder, manifested by intermittent pain and dark spots, did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Reiter's syndrome, concluding that it was not incurred or aggravated during his active military service.