Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case to address the applicability of a regulatory exception for an earlier effective date for special monthly death pension based on need for regular aid and attendance, as this is potentially applicable given the appellant's application for additional pension benefits.

The Board is remanding this claim to the RO for further proceedings and readjudication due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, as it does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a skin disorder of the ears, face, and legs during service or for many years thereafter. The VA examiner concluded that the current skin cancers were more likely due to lifetime exposure to UV radiation over a period of many years, rather than specifically due to sun exposure in service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left and right eye disabilities are not related to service or service-connected diabetes mellitus, thus denying his claims for direct and secondary service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hip disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The VA examiners opined that the current bilateral hip disorder is not related to his active duty service and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development of his lung disability claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and arranging a respiratory examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a left eye disorder, which he asserts was caused by an infection during service. The Board finds the VA examination inadequate and remands the case to obtain an addendum opinion addressing whether his current left eye disorder is causally related to symptoms documented during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of right leg pain. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if her current right leg pain is related to service or secondary to her service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for private treatment records from St. Joseph's Hospital in Texarkana, Arkansas, from 1993 through 1994.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the Veteran's bilateral eye disability did not have its onset in service and is not related to disease or injury incurred during active military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of left foot poliomyelitis due to new and material evidence. The claim will be remanded for further development, including a determination on whether his pre-existing condition was aggravated by military service.

The Board has denied the claim for an effective date prior to March 31, 2005, for the grant of recognition as a helpless child of the Veteran. The appellant's claim was received on March 31, 2005, and there is no evidence that he filed any earlier informal claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed mental health disorder, nocturnal incontinence, and sleep disorder are not related to his active service. As a result, the claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's sexual dysfunction is a symptom of her service-connected psychiatric disabilities and not a separate disability. Therefore, she does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran is permanently and totally disabled due to disabilities that are not the result of willful misconduct, thus meeting the criteria for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury, including symptoms such as blurred vision, temporary loss of balance, hostility, fatigue, insomnia, and memory problems, is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports. The case will be scheduled for a new VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot calluses and bilateral leg disorders, including as secondary to bilateral foot calluses. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's gout was first diagnosed in service and the Board finds that it is likely to have started during his military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for gout is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right elbow disability, including hyperextension. The case will be remanded for a new examination.