Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left leg disorder, including as secondary to his service-connected right leg and/or right foot disabilities, is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his service treatment records and a medical opinion regarding whether his current condition is related to military service.

The Veteran is not entitled to SMC by reason of the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities. However, he meets the criteria for SMC based on being housebound.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and for a compensable rating for hyperhidrosis, indicating satisfaction with the benefits he currently receives.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a left calf fragment wound with retained foreign bodies and Muscle Group XI involvement are currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the evidence does not support an increase to a higher rating.

The Veteran's varicose veins of the right leg were not productive of stasis pigmentation or eczema prior to May 17, 2010. Since then, they have been productive of persistent edema with stasis pigmentation but no ulceration.,Since May 17, 2010, the Veteran's right thigh scar has been productive of pain and tenderness.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and requests for additional information from the Veteran and his spouse.

The Board has determined that the appellant's ulcerative colitis does not warrant a compensable rating, and therefore denied his claim. The coccyx disorder issue is pending as it is unclear whether service connection can be established.

The Veteran does not meet the threshold service requirement for eligibility for nonservice-connected pension benefits as his service did not occur during a period of war.

The Board found that the Veteran's son, GFR, did not become permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 years due to his mental and physical disabilities. Therefore, the claim for recognition as a 'helpless child' was denied.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's breast cancer is being remanded for further development, including obtaining his military personnel records and radiation exposure records. The claim will be reviewed in light of the evidence provided.

The Board found that the Veteran's post-concussive headaches warranted a maximum (50%) disability rating, but denied service connection for brain hematoma. The claim is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's brain hematoma.

The Veteran's dysthymia has been productive of occupational and social impairment with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks, but not occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The appellant's claim for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund is denied as she does not meet the eligibility criteria, which only allows payments to surviving spouses and not children.

The Veteran does not have a disability exhibited by monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis that is related to service on a direct or presumptive basis.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected ulcerative colitis is currently rated at 60 percent disabling, but the Board finds that there is no evidence of pronounced symptoms warranting a higher rating. The Veteran experiences severe flare-ups with chronic alternating constipation and diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal bloating, distension, pain, malaise, lethargy, and weight loss, which are controlled with prescribed medication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's marriage to G. C. is presumed valid, and N. C., as the natural child of the Veteran's spouse, G. C., satisfies the regulatory definition of a 'child' for VA compensation purposes.

The appeal is being remanded due to the appellant's representative not being available for a scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling a rescheduled hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. A VA examination is also required to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of the Veteran's claimed splenomegaly and pancytopenia.