Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance before September 18, 2006 is pending. The effective date of the current award will be determined after adjudicating the pending claim.

The Board has determined that the appellant, who is the son of a Veteran, was permanently incapable of self-support prior to his 18th birthday due to mental or intellectual disability. As such, he is recognized as a 'helpless child' for VA benefits purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's myasthenia gravis and residuals of a head injury are not related to service, thus denying both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to a lack of eligibility based on his service as a member of the Philippine Scouts. The RO subsequently denied the claim without reopening it, and no new or material evidence has been received since January 2005.

The Veteran's lung disability, including residuals of a right upper lobectomy, is being remanded for further development to determine if it is related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or hasten his death from pneumonia and toxic shock syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, finding that there was no evidence showing current arthritis or a link to her service-connected sarcoidosis. The issue of eligibility for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant due to loss of use of lower extremities is also addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The appellant contends that overmedication caused or contributed to her husband's death, but VA treatment records indicate appropriate care.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection and increased rating will be reconsidered.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have residuals of an ear infection or a ruptured ear drum, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's post-service loss of teeth is not traceable to his exposure to ionizing radiation or other trauma during active military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection for dental disability for treatment purposes.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's residuals of left salivary gland removal, effective October 16, 2008.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints are currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has granted this rating. The disability is manifested by anterior tibial pain with slight functional impairment of the knees.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for basal and squamous cell carcinoma and actinic keratosis, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen his previously denied claim.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional information from the Veteran's Social Security Administration records and to reconsider his claim for service connection for a pinched nerve in the neck.

The Veteran's endophthalmitis, resulting from VA surgery of the left eye, was caused by an unforeseeable event and thus meets the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board has granted the appellant's appeal, finding that her remarriage does not constitute a bar to receiving DIC benefits and death pension/accrued benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Waco VA Regional Office for a hearing before the Board.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected left nephrectomy and traumatic splenectomy contributed to his death from metastatic parotid cancer.