Other conditions decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have recognized active military service for the purpose of obtaining one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, and thus denies the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thrombocythemia did not have its onset in service and is not related to any disease or injury incurred in service, including exposure to chemicals. Therefore, service connection for thrombocythemia is denied.

The Board found that the appellant's character of discharge from service is a bar to VA benefits due to willful and persistent misconduct, including multiple instances of unauthorized absence without official leave (AWOL). The Board concluded that there were no compelling circumstances to excuse his AWOLs.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a one-time payment from the FVEC Fund due to lack of recognized qualifying military service.

The Veteran's net worth was found to be sufficient such that some portion of it should be consumed to defray the costs of his maintenance, leading to a denial of nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of his delimiting date for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, Title 38, United States Code (Montgomery GI Bill) because he was not prevented from initiating or completing a chosen program of education due to disability.

The Board found that the Veteran was not aware of the outstanding warrant until 2010, and thus did not flee to avoid prosecution. As a result, she could not be considered a fugitive felon for purposes of creating an overpayment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evidentiary development, including a VA eye examination and additional medical records. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board found that the Veteran's diagnosed paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia/paroxysmal atrial tachycardia is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for arthritis is being reviewed to determine if it arose during service or is related to her military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and opinion to determine the nature and etiology of any current skin disorder. The Veteran's claim is currently pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for musculoskeletal pain and neurological symptoms in the lower extremities due to undiagnosed illness are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral shin splints, which were first noted in service and have persisted since then.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for residuals of a left femur fracture is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling an examination by an orthopedic specialist.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cognitive disorder not otherwise specified is related to head injuries sustained during service, including boxing matches and accidents. The preponderance of evidence supports this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his service-connected disabilities of the lower extremities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for compensable ratings for residuals of a right scaphoid fracture and a rating higher than 10 percent for residuals of a right radial head fracture.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have lymphoma, and thus service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for arthritis/gouty arthritis and has also denied service connection for depression. The claims were remanded due to incomplete development, but upon further review, there is no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for arthritis/gouty arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.