Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Board has granted the appeal, finding that the character of the appellant's discharge from service is not a bar to VA benefits.

The Board denied educational reimbursement for courses taken from May 6, 2006 to September 6, 2006 under Chapter 30 of the Montgomery GI Bill Educational Assistance Program due to the Appellant filing his claim one year after the courses were completed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including as secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate examination reports and missing VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Appellant may not be recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death pension benefits due to her remarriage, which precludes eligibility.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for pernicious anemia, finding that it did not have its onset during service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service. The Board also found that pernicious anemia was unrelated to diabetes mellitus and not caused by Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of an appendectomy and cholecystectomy was denied as the Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's metastatic cancer of the pancreas did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter, and is unrelated to Agent Orange exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's skin conditions, including seborrheic keratosis, sebaceous hyperplasia, cherry angiomas, and xerosis, are service-connected as they had their onset during active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's TDIU claim is currently on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of reopening his defective vision service connection and denied his increased rating for flexion deformity of the middle finger of the left hand with weakness of grip.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome warrants a 10 percent rating, but her iliotibial band syndrome of the right hip does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor child, finding that the Veteran is reasonably discharging his responsibility for support and there is no hardship warranting a special apportionment.

The Veteran's service-connected fracture of the left femur is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but does not warrant a higher rating.,Service connection for arthritis of the back and bilateral hips was denied because there is no evidence linking these conditions to his service or any injury in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of left and right tarsal tunnel syndrome did not originate in service or for many years thereafter, are not related to any incident during active service, and are not caused or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and its residuals, are due to his in-service herbicide exposure. As a result, service connection is granted.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for a right arm disorder is not considered final due to the submission of relevant service records after the November 2008 rating decision. The case is now reopened and will be reconsidered.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral foot disability, including degenerative joint disease, calcaneal spur, and stable 4th digit deformity of the right foot, and callosities of the left foot. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart condition is denied as there is no current disability to support the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board making a decision.