Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his left upper extremity disability and whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service, for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining chest X-rays and pulmonary function test results. The Veteran's lung disability is being evaluated to determine if it is related to exposure to asbestos during service.

The Veteran's left knee disability, characterized by post-traumatic degenerative joint disease with frequent episodes of locking, pain and effusion, was found to warrant a 20 percent rating effective from the date of the initial claim.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left foot crush injury, but the issue remains on remand to determine if there is new and material evidence to reopen it. The Veteran's current left foot disability may be related to his active service, but further examination is needed to clarify this.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's left leg shin splints and whether it is related to service. The Veteran will be given another opportunity to provide any additional evidence needed for his claim.

The Veteran's symptoms of Crohn's disease have most nearly approximated severe impairment with numerous attacks per year and malnutrition, warranting a 60 percent rating. The claim for TDIU is also granted.

The Board has determined that macular degeneration is proximately due to or the result of service-connected atrial fibrillation and hypertension, and thus grants the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is denied as there is no evidence of additional disability caused by VA care.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected index and long finger disabilities have not improved since their original grant of service connection, warranting restoration of the previously assigned ratings.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a fungal infection of the feet is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active service.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for death pension, finding that the Veteran did not qualify under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.3(b)(4) due to lack of service-connected disability at time of discharge.

The Veteran claims service connection for residuals of a left hip injury sustained in February 1953 during military training. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including searching for records and scheduling an examination to determine the relationship between the current condition and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's skin disorder and a VA audiological examination to assess his bilateral hearing loss disability. The issues of service connection for a skin disorder (presumptive due to Agent Orange exposure) and entitlement to higher rating for bilateral hearing loss remain pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to a procedural defect in the issuance of an SOC for the initial evaluation of bladder floor compression. The Veteran is entitled to receive an SOC and must file a timely substantive appeal if he wishes to continue his appeal on this issue.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim for service connection for esophageal cancer.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral foot drop is secondary to his service-connected shell fragment wounds to both legs. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to care for his daily personal needs or protect himself from the hazards and dangers of daily living without care or assistance on a regular basis.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his right knee disability was denied, and he is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board also denied his TDIU prior to December 28, 2002.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left thigh, with a retained foreign body involving Muscle Group XIII is being remanded due to incomplete information from the April 2011 VA examination.

The Veteran claims that VA negligence caused her gallbladder condition to worsen, resulting in additional disability. The Board finds this claim requires further development with a medical examination.