Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Board found no competent medical evidence attributing the Veteran's current left leg disorder to his service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue with metastasis to the neck is service-connected due to exposure to herbicides in service. However, there is no evidence of soft tissue sarcoma related to service connection.

The Board found no evidence to support a causal connection between the Veteran's death and his service, thus denying service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's left eye condition, diagnosed as vitreous degeneration and floaters, was not incurred during active military service.

The Veteran's recurrent urethral stricture disease is productive of urinary retention requiring intermittent or continuous catheterization, but does not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking the myocardial infarction to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses related to emergency room and emergency services on April 29, 2005 was denied as the evidence showed that a portion of his treatment costs were covered by an automotive insurance policy. As a result, he did not meet all criteria for VA payment.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the disability rating for adenocarcinoma of the prostate, status post radical prostatectomy from 40% to 20% was not proper.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder, was incurred in or is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to VCAA compliance issues and will consider whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of service connection for a left elbow disability.

The Veteran's marriage to the appellant was not valid under VA law due to a prior legal impediment, and therefore the appellant is not recognized as his surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes.

The Veteran is obligated to pay a co-payment of $824.68 for his VA hospital admission on April 27, 2006 due to the denial of his request.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for shin splints and an initial compensable disability rating for sacroiliac joint dysfunction, finding no current diagnosis of either condition.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain medical records and opinions regarding the Veteran's heart disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and service connection for the cause of his death. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility for VA death benefits, including DIC and nonservice-connected death pension, due to a lack of qualifying service by her alleged late husband. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) found that the appellant's alleged late husband had no service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, which is recognizable as service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to VA medical treatment in October 1998 is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's residuals of a cold injury to the right lower extremity are rated at 30 percent. For the left lower extremity, he was initially granted a 30 percent rating effective March 26, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for the grant of additional compensation for his spouse and for a grant of additional compensation for his son, finding that the evidence did not support earlier effective dates under VA regulations.

The Veteran's service-connected panic disorder with agoraphobia and secondary depressive symptoms have been rated at 70 percent, the highest schedular rating available. This reflects significant occupational and social impairment.