Other conditions decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current foot disability existed prior to service and was aggravated therein, or whether it was initially incurred in service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for the residuals of a left foot injury is being remanded due to outstanding records and need for further examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for cancers of the larynx, pharynx, and tongue due to presumed exposure to herbicides during military service. The most probative evidence supports a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's eye disability is a result of his VA treatment, but the Board cannot determine if it was caused by carelessness or negligence on VA's part. The case must be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's skin disorders, including Campbell de Morgan spots and active keratoses, were not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service due to Agent Orange exposure. The Board found no evidence linking the conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of any current left leg disability found to be present.

The Board has denied reopening the claims for service connection for testicular and low back disabilities, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims. The Veteran's assertions of in-service injury and continuous pain since service have not been substantiated by additional medical evidence.

The Board has granted increased evaluations for Graves ophthalmopathy and exposure keratitis due to proptosis and lagophthalmos, with the former receiving a 10 percent evaluation and the latter a 20 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for dependency benefits was received by VA on May 19, 2009. The effective date of the award is June 1, 2009.

The Board found no credible evidence of an in-service injury or subsequent symptoms, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a degenerative disorder of the spine.

The Veteran's request for educational assistance benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill is remanded due to his failure to appear at a scheduled hearing and his subsequent requests for a new hearing date. A videoconference hearing will be scheduled.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's condition contraindicates use of a powered mobility device. The Veteran is seeking entitlement to a powered mobility device, but his claim will be further evaluated based on new medical examination results.

The Veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound to muscle group XI of the right leg have been rated as moderately severe since July 1971. The Board has determined that his symptoms warrant an increased rating from 10% to 20%.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to substantiate the claim, and thus remands the case back to the VA for further development.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for further development due to incomplete records and inadequate opinions. The AOJ must obtain missing VA examination reports, locate a relevant letter from the Veteran's family physician, and conduct new examinations or obtain new opinions as requested.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his absence from the scheduled hearing. A new hearing will be arranged at the Detroit RO.

The Board found that the Veteran's left great toe disability, which resulted in a fracture and laceration during service, does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's right lung condition has been rated at 60 percent since March 30, 2006. The VA determined that the Veteran met criteria for a 60 percent evaluation based on his pulmonary function tests showing restrictive ventilatory abnormality.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an opinion regarding whether squamous cell carcinoma of the left tonsil is related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left inguinal herniorrhaphy does not meet the criteria for a disability rating higher than 10 percent.