Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blepharitis and left heel bone spur, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for pseudofolliculitis barbae.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a request for a video-conference hearing. The effective date of pension benefits remains unresolved.

The Board found that the appellant did not meet the criteria to be recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes, thus denying her claim for DIC benefits.

The Veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicides during his service at the perimeter of U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized private medical expenses incurred on July 23, 2012 was granted. The Board found that the treatment was related to a service-connected disability and rendered in a medical emergency with no feasibly available VA facilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 was denied as he did not meet the basic eligibility requirements prior to February 1, 2011.

The Board denied the Appellant's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities and traumatic brain injury due to his bad conduct discharge from the Air Force, finding that he was not insane at the time of his offenses.

The Veteran died of a nonservice-connected cause and was not in receipt of VA compensation or pension at the time of his death. The appellant's claim for burial benefits is denied as she does not meet the eligibility requirements under current laws.

The Veteran died of aspiration pneumonia due to Shy-Drager syndrome, which is not service-connected and not presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Board finds that the appellant is entitled to recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes, based on her testimony and supporting statements indicating she was not at fault in the separation from the Veteran prior to his death.

The Veteran's intraepithelial dysplasia of the larynx is found to be as likely as not due to his presumed exposure to herbicides during service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran was not a fugitive felon and therefore, the termination of his VA service-connected disability compensation benefits from January 29, 2009 to November 25, 2009 was unwarranted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and for non-service-connected death pension benefits. The Veteran did not have any service-connected disabilities, and his death was attributed to congestive heart failure which is not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and outstanding records. The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin disability of the feet is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ulnar nerve entrapment is presumed to have started during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sickle cell trait was aggravated during service, resulting in intermittent hematuria. The diabetes mellitus disorder is not related to service or any incident of service.

The former service member did not meet the minimum active duty requirement and was discharged due to a structural condition, thus he is ineligible for burial in a VA national cemetery.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered after the additional evidence is obtained.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for low back disability was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion regarding whether his residuals of septic shock and abscess surgery may be attributed to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on VA's part.