Other conditions decisions — 2008

The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a cerebral vascular accident (CVA) is denied as there is no evidence that the CVA or its residuals were caused by VA medical care.

The Board has ordered a remand to allow the appellant to provide information about her income and any unreimbursed medical expenses for herself and her son, including in order to determine if M.A. qualifies as a helpless child.

The veteran seeks payment or reimbursement for private medical expenses incurred on August 3, 2004 at Doctors Medical Center. The VAMC denied the claim based on a finding that no authorization was provided and that a VA facility was feasibly available. The case is now remanded to determine if prior authorization was granted.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date of February 7, 2001 for DIC benefits due to lack of evidence of a prior claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. The claim remains denied.

The Board has ordered the case back to the RO for further action, including obtaining a medical opinion and readjudicating the claim based on all evidence.

The veteran is seeking an increased evaluation for his service-connected baker's cyst of the left popliteal fossa, currently rated at 20 percent. The Board has remanded this case due to a lack of a contemporaneous VA examination and requests for additional treatment records.

The veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his dorsal spine strain with arthritis was denied. He is currently rated at 40 percent, effective September 26, 2003.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 17, 1990 for the award of disability compensation benefits for residuals of a cerebrovascular accident under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The veteran's service-connected left elbow disability was manifested by intermittent pain and stiffness prior to May 7, 2007. From May 7, 2007, the disability was characterized by mild limitation of motion with degenerative joint disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for calcified pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure and TDIU.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional treatment records from the VA Medical Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The veteran's claim for service connection for muscle and nerve damage due to Agent Orange exposure will be considered again after these records are obtained.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a travel board hearing at the Huntington RO and issuance of a Statement of the Case on his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a testicular injury and head trauma. The right foot Achilles strain claim was also denied.

The Board found that the veteran does not currently have numbness in his left or right hand, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for systemic lupus and secondary service connection for membranous glomerulopathy as a result of the veteran's service-connected systemic lupus.

The veteran's request for a hearing before the Board has not been timely scheduled, and the appeal is being remanded to reschedule the hearing with proper notice.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected narcolepsy does not warrant a rating in excess of 60 percent, as there is no evidence of more than 10 minor seizures weekly.