Other conditions decisions — 2010

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left wrist disability, including Kienbock's disease. The case is remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records and an examination.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis and HIV, as well as for dementia, syncope, and vision problems claimed as secondary to HIV. The Veteran's current diagnoses of arthritis and HIV were not shown during his period of active duty or within the presumptive period after discharge.

The Board has determined that a personality disorder is not a disability for which VA compensation is payable.

The Veteran's adopted children, C.F. and J.F., are not recognized as his adoptive children for VA purposes due to the natural parents retaining custody of them.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death and whether it is related to service or any in-service exposures.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin disease is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and incorrect social security numbers.

The case is being remanded for additional development to ensure all relevant evidence has been considered and the appellant's participation in the claim process is addressed.

The VA determined that the appellant's traumatic arthritis, left elbow, status post dislocation with limitation of motion is currently rated as 10 percent disabling and does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin tumors of the chest and back were not incurred in or related to his active duty service, nor may their incurrence or relation during such service be presumed. The Board found no evidence linking the condition to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice and failure to consider whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the issue of whether the character of the appellant's discharge constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the appellant's DIC payments should be recouped due to her receipt of a payment under the RECA program. The cause of death was lung cancer, which is related to in-service exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical treatment from May 3 to May 7, 2005 was approved as the condition was emergent and continued even after stabilization.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right hand disability attributable to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a left hand disability is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's pension benefits were correctly adjusted based on changes in his income, effective January 1, 2006, and May 1, 2006. The maximum allowable rate for a Veteran with no dependents was $10,579, but after accounting for the SSA income, the Veteran's monthly pension rates were reduced to $630 per month effective January 1, 2006, and $567 per month effective May 1, 2006.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left hip with left leg pain is being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and a further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any bilateral hip disorder that may be present.

The Veteran's death was not related to his military service, and the appellant does not meet the income criteria for death pension benefits for the 2006 calendar year.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Albany Medical Center from November 8, 2007 to November 11, 2007 is granted due to the emergent nature of his condition and lack of availability of a VA facility.