Other conditions decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to a request for a videoconference hearing.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's current memory loss and confabulation to his in-service pneumonia, and thus denied service connection.

The Veteran's claim of residuals from an STD infection was denied as there is no current evidence of a residual disability. The VA examiner concluded that the erectile dysfunction he currently experiences is not related to his in-service STD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a hearing. The claim remains in controversy as less than the maximum benefit available has been awarded.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has a current vision disorder that is related to her military service. Her visual problems are attributed, in part, to hyperopia and resolved hordeolum (stye), as well as congenital cataracts which do not significantly affect vision.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA optometry records and additional VA treatment records, as well as for an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's right eye disability.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain a VA examination and attempt to obtain private treatment records, as the Veteran's anemia claim is related to her military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation and failure to provide proper notice regarding alternative forms of evidence. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sinus disability is pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial rating have been denied. The hiatal hernia with history of peptic ulcer disease is currently rated at 10 percent, while the residuals of basal cell carcinoma are not shown to meet any compensable criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back and neck disabilities are not related to his active military service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition within one year after discharge or continuity of symptoms since service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's degenerative disc disease is less likely related to his service.

The Veteran's surviving spouse did not provide the necessary evidence within a year of being requested to do so, and thus her claim for additional death pension benefits was deemed abandoned. As a result, she is not entitled to any accrued benefits.

The Veteran's knee disabilities were found to not warrant higher ratings at any point, with the exception of a temporary increase in rating from February 24, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for her service-connected residuals of a fractured left pubic rami is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated private treatment records and conducting a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for alcoholism was denied as the condition is considered willful misconduct and not incurred in line of duty during service. The other claims were also denied.

The Veteran's quadraparesis status post cervico-cranial fusion was not a reasonably foreseeable consequence of his VA hospitalization and intubation in January 2005, resulting in the grant of compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death from squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil was not caused or aggravated by service-connected conditions, including exposure to asbestos or toxic chemicals in service. The appellant's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disability, including rectus diastasis and sexual dysfunction, was not caused by VA medical care. The proximate cause of his disability was deemed to be his own failure to follow properly given medical instructions.

The Veteran's initial and increased ratings for peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current scoliosis or degenerative joint disease, and there is no evidence of a chronic disability in service. The VA examiner found it less likely than not that the Veteran's current back disorder was related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to clarify if she still desires a hearing for her service connection claims and, if so, the type of hearing requested.