Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a back injury and arthritis, finding that the evidence did not support an in-service onset or chronicity of these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right eye vision loss is not due to VA care, but rather a result of his own negligence in following medical instructions.

The Veteran's cause of death has been granted service connection, making the request for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 moot.

The Veteran's death was caused by a hip fracture due to dementia, which was not service-connected. The VA medical opinions concluded that the medication Seroquel (used for treating dementia) did not contribute to his fall and subsequent hip fracture.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the December 2004 rating decision is not new and material, and thus does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury.

The Veteran's right hand little finger disability has been rated at 10 percent since September 1, 2007. The claim for increased evaluation remains pending.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and myocardial infarction, which were not service-connected. The Board denied the claims for DIC based on service connection for the cause of death, as well as for death pension benefits.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of head trauma, to include headaches, and residuals of a comminuted left zygoma fracture with nerve involvement is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a chronic throat and sinus disability attributable to service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility for educational assistance under Chapter 1606, Title 10, United States Code (Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve - MGIB-SR) due to his discharge from the Selected Reserve prior to completing his six-year enlistment contract and not resuming reserve duty within a year of separation.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no service connection for squamous cell carcinoma could be decided as the claim is not about a service-connected condition.

The Veteran was granted payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Shands Starke Regional Medical Center on September 16, 2009 due to a neck pain and dizziness emergency.

The Veteran's heart disorder, diagnosed as atrial fibrillation, is not related to his military service and the Board finds that it was not incurred or aggravated by any incident of service. The presumption for Agent Orange exposure does not apply.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination. The issue of service connection for ITP, which the Veteran asserts may be related to in-service herbicide exposure, will need further review.

The appellant is not entitled to DEA benefits beyond December 17, 2010 due to the limitations on extending delimiting dates.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to restoration of VA pension benefits before a decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for a left inguinal hernia secondary to his right inguinal hernia, and denied an increased rating for his right inguinal hernia.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits and special monthly pension benefits due to a lack of legal merit or entitlement under the law.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, which was initially granted from December 8, 2010. The case is being remanded to obtain complete SSA records and consider the Veteran's claim.

The Board finds that the apportionment of $273 per month for S.S., as a dependent, was proper under VA regulations. However, it is denied because neither condition for an apportionment (the child being in custody or the veteran reasonably contributing to support) was met.