Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Board has granted service connection for right elbow tendonitis and lateral epicondylitis, finding that the Veteran's current right elbow disorders are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a chronic dental disability and jaw fracture residuals were denied as there was no objective evidence of such conditions during active service or at any time thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for grinding of teeth was denied. The current effective date is July 11, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder in October 1985, finding no chronic condition during service and no medical evidence linking the post-service rash to Agent Orange exposure. The claim was reopened based on new evidence submitted since then.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate and low testosterone disorders did not manifest as a result of his military service, including as a result of herbicide exposure. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a liver disease was denied as there is no current evidence of the claimed condition.

The Veteran died from end stage liver cancer-cholangioma. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of his death, alleging that it was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and/or due to VA's failure to properly diagnose and treat gallstones. The Board has remanded the case to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam and his liver cancer.

The Board has determined that there is no current chronic lung disability manifested by a nodule in the left upper lung, and thus service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip disorder is aggravated by postoperative residuals of a total knee replacement, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral macular degeneration was incurred in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right hip and left hip, status post total hip replacement, finding that these conditions are presumed to be due to disease or injury incurred in active service.

The Board finds that the death was not caused by VA fault such as carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill or error in judgment. The Veteran's death is attributed to his own conditions and treatment.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for a right eye disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disabilities, such as a limp and tenderness at the Achilles tendon repair site, were not caused by VA carelessness or negligence.

The Board found that the Veteran's carcinoma of the bladder, status post ureterostomy, and chronic lymphedema and cellulitis of the right lower extremity were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of September 1, 2006 for additional compensation based on his dependent child's school attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected left leg DVT has been granted a 20 percent disability evaluation effective from March 20, 2008. The Board found that the condition did not meet criteria for higher evaluations prior to this date.

The Board found that the Veteran's polysubstance dependence is not causally related to or permanently worsened in severity by any service-connected disability, including major depressive disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left eye injury. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for meralgia paresthetica of the left thigh, a genitourinary disorder including bladder incontinence, and a gastrointestinal disorder including bowel incontinence with stomach cramping, as secondary to service-connected hysterectomy residuals.