Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an examination and additional medical records, as well as clarification on the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hip condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records from the Salisbury VAMC. The issue remains on appeal regarding payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred during a specific period.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen her application for service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding that no new and material evidence had been presented.

The Board denied service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia due to a lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, and thus the presumption of exposure does not apply. The Veteran's claim was terminated at his death, and as such, accrued benefits are also denied.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability, characterized as degenerative joint disease and chronic tendonitis post-surgical reconstruction, does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's ankylosing spondylitis is manifested by unfavorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine, without ankylosis of the entire spine. The Board denies a rating higher than 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and requests for additional information. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining any missing records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disability, rash of the lower extremities, and a dental disability for compensation purposes have all been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has granted a compensable rating of 10% for the service-connected tenosynovitis with therapeutic release, third digit, right hand since its effective date.

The Veteran's service-connected right great toe disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and his second toe right foot disability is also rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for basal cell carcinoma, claimed as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, was denied because there is no medical evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service. The issue regarding the jaw disability remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance was dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran does not have a dental disorder that is related to service and therefore, the claim for service connection for a dental disorder for VA treatment purposes is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and affording the Veteran a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral chronic uveitis, to include serpiginous chorioretinopathy, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only is denied as the medical evidence does not show that he has, due to service-connected disability, the claimed loss of use of one or both feet.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability, including his in-service asbestos exposure. The cause of death listed on the death certificate was mesothelioma and respiratory failure, but the medical evidence did not support this conclusion.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral defective hearing, finding that the earliest allowable effective date is May 29, 2002.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a left foot condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, arrhythmia due to cardiomyopathy, was not service-connected and denied the claim.