Other conditions decisions — 2011

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of July 23, 1954 for a 20 percent rating for residuals of shell fragment wounds to the pelvis and left leg. The Veteran filed his claim within one year of discharge from active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left eye disabilities, including corneal ulcers, herpetic keratitis, and pseudophakia, are at least as likely as not related to his military service. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed residuals of a left groin injury are not related to service and therefore denied his claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Raynaud's disease is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further development of his claims file.

The Veteran's bilateral shin splints have been rated at 10% since June 2006. The May 2010 VA examination confirmed the severity of his symptoms, including pain, weakness, stiffness, swelling, redness, instability, and giving way, which severely impacts daily activities.

The Veteran's request for a video conference hearing before the Board has been rescheduled due to his attendance at a funeral. The case is now REMANDED for scheduling of the requested hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hiatal hernia, to include as secondary to residuals of a gastrectomy, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased PTSD rating, and hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has determined that the appellant is entitled to a monetary allowance under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805 for spina bifida, as he is the child of a Vietnam veteran and suffers from this condition.

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

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant requested withdrawal prior to a decision being made.

The appellant is not eligible for VA death benefits, to include Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and death pension due to the lack of legal basis.

The Board has granted service connection for memory loss and urticaria as due to an undiagnosed illness, both claimed as symptoms of a chronic medically unexplained multi-symptom illness, under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Board found that the appellant's current degenerative joint disease of the back is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits due to a lack of entitlement under the law, as she is no longer the Veteran's spouse.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining records of his hospitalization and treatment since June 2009, as well as scheduling a VA heart examination to assess the current severity of his hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for congestive heart failure, which he claims is secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board has determined that this claim is inextricably intertwined with the issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claim for dependency status for his step-children, C.B. and A.B., was denied as there is no evidence that they are the legitimate or adopted children of the Veteran or his deceased wife.

The Board found that the Veteran's left hip disorder and gastrointestinal condition were not incurred or aggravated by active military service, nor are they secondary to a service-connected disability. The rating for his back injury remains at 40%.

The Veteran's service-connected heloma molle, interspace between left fourth and fifth toes, is currently rated at 10 percent under the old criteria. The Board has determined that this rating is appropriate based on the symptoms described.