Other conditions decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a leg disability, including Osgood-Schlatters disease, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for her service-connected conditions was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for her insomnia, and did not find any other condition to warrant an increase in rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on the etiology of any left eye disorder. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after this development.

The Veteran's shell fragment wound to the right arm has resulted in a moderately severe injury, resulting in a 30 percent evaluation since September 17, 2013.

The Veteran's former surviving spouse died in February 2010, and her VA pension benefits were discontinued effective the last day of January 2010. Therefore, there was no entitlement to a benefit that was due and unpaid for the month of March 2010.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for adding his spouse and stepson as dependents was denied because the earliest date of claim was September 23, 2008, when he notified VA of his marriage to M.D.P. The effective date is set on October 1, 2008.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not have any pending claims for VA benefits at the time of his death. Therefore, burial benefits are denied.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of her appeal for TDIU.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant filed her claim for nonservice-connected burial benefits more than two years after the cremation of his remains. As a result, her claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and private medical records, as well as providing a VA examination to assess the Veteran's bilateral hand disorder and lower back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right hip is rated at 10 percent, and he is granted a separate rating for limitation of rotation.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or at the housebound rate is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development.

The Veteran's spouse was awarded basic eligibility to DEA benefits with an effective date of June 1, 2010. The appellant reached his 26th birthday before the benefits were established and is not eligible for DEA benefits prior to September 15, 2010.

The Board granted service connection for vitiligo and assigned a 10 percent rating effective December 12, 2002. The Veteran's condition is rated based on the percentage of exposed areas affected.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected post-operative inguinal hernia, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's fecal incontinence has been rated at 60 percent since June 26, 2013. The Board found that the symptoms of extensive leakage and fairly frequent involuntary bowel movements warranted this rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right leg disability, involving Muscle Groups XI and XII, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of ankylosis or impairment comparable to ankylosis, which would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining records of any treatment since March 2014 and arranging a new VA examination to assess the severity of his TMJ disturbance.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left hip does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent. The evidence shows that his range of motion is limited, but not to such an extent as to warrant a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's facial nerve damage and residuals of a dental injury are service-connected, with compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for the former being granted.