Other conditions decisions — 2011

The Board denied service connection for cause of the Veteran's death on the merits in November 2009. The appellant submitted new evidence, but it did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for angina pectoris and a chronic skin disability due to mustard gas exposure. The Veteran's service medical records are unavailable, and further efforts should be made to obtain them. Additional evidence may also need to be obtained from the Rome Outpatient Clinic.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether any diagnosed bilateral lower leg condition is related to service in any way, to include PTSD or non-service connected psoriasis.

The Veteran's death was due to a nonservice-connected cause and the appellant is entitled to burial and plot allowances, as he met all eligibility criteria.

The Veteran does not have encapsulated epithelial thymoma that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated during active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for accrued VA death benefits, including service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), due to lack of service-connected disabilities at the time of the Veteran's death and because the appellant was not a child of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of right hip injury, other than a scar. The Veteran's claim was previously denied in November 2005 and reopened by the RO in February 2010. However, the RO continued to deny service connection for residuals of right hip injury, other than a scar.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a lung condition and arthritis, both claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and readjudication due to issues related to vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31 of Title 38, United States Code. The Veteran's interrupted status needs to be reviewed.

The Board found no evidence of a left hand disability in service or within one year post-service, and the current left hand disability is not related to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's middle finger arthritis was attributed to a prior injury after separation from service.

The VA denied service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, characterized as Barrett's Esophagus, claimed as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The most probative medical opinion found no medical nexus between the Veteran's current gastrointestinal disorder and his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's conditions are related to service and have granted service connection for these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hallux valgus, finding no competent or credible evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right tonsillar cancer is due to herbicide exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic encephalitis residuals and chronic brain syndrome are currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to ionizing radiation during service and posterior subcapsular cataract of the left eye is at least as likely as not due to this exposure. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral foot disorder is proximately due to, the result of, or chronically aggravated by his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left and right knees. As such, service connection for a bilateral foot disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disorder is granted.

The Board has determined that additional notice and development are required before the DIC claim for the cause of the Veteran's death can be properly adjudicated.

The Veteran's service-connected Polymorphous Light Eruption and the residuals of Basal Cell Carcinoma affect less than 20 percent of his total body or exposed areas, do not require systemic therapy such as corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs for a total duration of six weeks or more. The current rating of 10 percent is maintained.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran has Lyme disease and its residuals, and to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service. The RO is also instructed to request medical records from Dr. Richardson.