Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, including memory loss, cannot be granted as there is no evidence to support his contention that he incurred such injuries during active duty. The claim for an increased rating for condyloma acuminata was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected pleural plaques did not result in any disabling manifestations and therefore, a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hyperlipidemia was denied. The Board found that hyperlipidemia is a laboratory finding and not a disability for VA compensation purposes. For the other issues, the claims were either not granted or denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and providing an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's respiratory disability arose during service or is etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for dysthymic disorder is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that additional development is required to determine the relationship between the Veteran's gastroparesis and her service-connected left ankle and bilateral knee disabilities, as well as whether there is aggravation of a nonservice-connected disability by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records, as his most recent VA examination was over five years ago.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for payment of additional compensation benefits for his dependent spouse is denied as he did not provide the required documentation within one year of his marriage.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and conduct further examination.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the Veteran's claim can be decided. The case is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records, as well as a new psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting scoliosis permanently worsened during active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death, adenocarcinoma of the lung and emphysema, was not related to his service.

The Veteran's skin disorder is being remanded for an addendum opinion to determine if it is related to his service, specifically the rash and dermatitis he experienced in service. The current VA examiner did not provide a nexus opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected arthritic changes of the bilateral great toes with hammertoes and bilateral heel spurs have been granted a 10 percent disability rating. The right foot neuroma has also been granted a separate 10 percent disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for Chronic B-cell lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) due to presumed exposure to herbicides during active duty in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for alcoholism was denied as there is no evidence of a service-connected disability that could have caused or aggravated the condition, and direct service connection is prohibited due to the prohibition on granting compensation for alcohol or drug abuse based on claims filed after October 31, 1990.

The Board is remanding the case to ensure compliance with due process in the termination of a property interest awarded in an August 2003 decision. The proper issue on appeal will be adjudicated, considering any due process concerns.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's arthritis of the hips and spine. The TDIU claim will be deferred until the service connection claim is complete.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the claimant during its pendency.