Other conditions decisions — 2009

The Veteran's skin disorder is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its etiology and whether it was incurred during service or due to asbestos exposure. The Veteran will also be asked to provide any medical records from Dr. D.M.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claim of service connection for chronic osteomyelitis of the right tibia with abscess of the right leg, which was previously denied in February 1959 and March 2002.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant withdrew his appeal for whether co-payment charges were properly assessed for VA health care received beginning October 21, 2005.

The Board has remanded the case due to gaps in the record, including missing service treatment records and VA medical records. The Veteran seeks service connection for an eye injury sustained during service.

The Veteran's urticaria resulted in four or more episodes within the past 12 months, which met the criteria for a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7825. The condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it did not result in debilitating episodes at least four times in the past 12 months.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of dependency and indemnity compensation based on a grant of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant and thus service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to metastatic colon cancer is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for a bilateral vision disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted sufficient to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied an effective date earlier than January 29, 2001 for the award of service connection for epididymitis, finding that the August 1994 rating decision was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous in failing to award service connection for epididymitis.

The Board denied the appellant's request for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred between February 10-13, 2007 due to lack of prior authorization and because VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran is entitled to a 20 percent disability rating for his granuloma secondary to elective vasectomy, both prior to and after April 5, 2007. This rating reflects the predominant area of dysfunction (urinary frequency with daytime voiding interval between 1 and 2 hours or awakening to void three to four times per night).

The Board found that the Veteran's lung disability, claimed as mesothelioma, was not related to his service due to lack of evidence of asbestos exposure during service.

The Board denied the appellant's appeal, finding that she was not entitled to an extension of her delimiting date for receipt of educational benefits under Chapter 35 due to lack of evidence showing a physical or mental disability preventing her from initiating or completing her chosen program of education.

The Veteran's right eye impairment is not service-connected and the Board finds that it is not related to his service-connected left eye disability.

The Veteran's peptic ulcer disease is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Veteran's lymphoma of the right testicle was not incurred in or aggravated by military service, and any current lymphoma is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence indicates that the Veteran's radiation exposure did not relate to his lymphoma of the right testicle.

The Board denied service connection for disability of the pelvis and right hip arthritis, as well as an initial compensable rating for residuals of a right forearm burn. The Veteran's current symptoms are not considered to be related to his in-service motorcycle accident.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and conducting medical examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hand disorder was aggravated by active service, and therefore grants service connection for a left hand disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting congenital bilateral pes cavus was aggravated by service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.