Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's endocarditis is not related to his service or a service-connected disability, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a hearing. The claims regarding disability ratings for his condition are still pending.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for a compensable rating for right foot jungle rot, reduction of PTSD disability rating from 50% to 30%, and service connection claims due to herbicide exposure. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD is still pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination to determine if any current disability is related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the issues on appeal can be adjudicated. The appellant must provide corrective notice, identify any private treatment records, and submit any relevant evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA eye examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not meet the eligibility criteria for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund due to lack of qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces. The claim is therefore denied.

The Veteran did not have a pending claim for accrued benefits at the time of his death, and therefore, he is not entitled to such benefits.

The Veteran died, and the appeals for service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 have been dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that the fatal brain tumor and sacral chordoma were not related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal involves claims for service connection for familial polyposis and an initial increased rating for a right knee disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the service connection claim, as well as to issue a statement of the case on the increased rating claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's varicose veins were not caused by his service-connected right knee disability and denied the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and a left knee disability, both diagnosed as degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's current eye disability is remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for supraventricular tachycardia, status post ablation therapy (previously assessed as pericarditis) was denied. The current effective date remains July 2003.

The Veteran's obsessive compulsive disorder with dysphoric mood has been productive of occupational and social impairment that more nearly approximates reduced reliability and productivity than deficiencies in most areas. The Veteran is not precluded from securing or following substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a bilateral hip disorder or low back disorder in service, and there is no evidence of such disorders within one year after discharge. The Board also determined that any current hip and low back conditions are not related to his service-connected patellofemoral arthritis of the right knee.

The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's skin disability, lichen simplex chronicus and moniliasis, is currently rated at 30 percent. The evidence does not show that the condition warrants a higher rating as it did not require systemic therapy or affect more than 40% of the entire body or exposed areas.

The Board found no evidence of a current eye disorder that had its onset during active service or was related to any in-service disease, event, or injury. Therefore, the Veteran's claim for service connection for vision injuries was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current autoimmune disorder, diagnosed as Sjogren's syndrome, was incurred during military service. The claim for service connection is granted.