Other conditions decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the appellant and the Veteran were legally married at the time of the Veteran's death, and they continuously cohabitated throughout their marriage. Therefore, the appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse for VA benefits.

The Veteran's chronic urticaria has not shown to have caused recurrent debilitating episodes occurring at least four times during the past 12 month period, and requiring intermittent systemic immunosuppressive therapy for control. Therefore, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board has determined that the record contains new and material evidence sufficient to warrant reopening the claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, but further development is needed as the VA examination provided by the examiner did not address both causation and aggravation of the nonservice-connected condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to insufficient information regarding the appellant's Reserve service. The appeal will be returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further action.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected narcolepsy did not meet or more nearly approximate the criteria for a higher initial disability rating than 10 percent under DC 8911, as he did not have at least one major seizure in the last two years or at least two minor seizures in the last six months.

The Veteran's emergency room visit for leg pain (deep vein thrombosis) at Halifax Regional Medical Center on November 4, 2010 was not authorized in advance by VA. The claim was received more than two years after the treatment and thus is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left leg disability, including atherosclerotic disease, is being remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding whether his current left leg symptoms are related to his in-service injury.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not otherwise related to service. Therefore, service connection for this condition was denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the appellant did not file a timely notice of disagreement to the November 2010 decision denying entitlement to a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right and left hip replacement, to include as secondary to his service-connected back condition, due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's right foot disability did not clearly and unmistakably exist prior to active service, but was unable to determine if it is related to his military service due to lack of documentation. As such, the claim for service connection for a right foot disorder is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral otalgia is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for blepharitis and trichiasis, as well as his claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss prior to November 2, 2013, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral eye disability, including reticular degeneration and dry eye, is not related to service. The current refractive error was determined to be unrelated to any injury in service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and providing an addendum to a previous opinion.

The Board found that the Veteran's gastrointestinal, navel, and nose disabilities were not incurred during active service or due to any incident occurring during his active service. The VA examinations concluded that there was no evidence of a pre-existing condition in service and that the current conditions are more likely related to post-service events.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current skin disorder, diagnosed as urticaria, had its origins in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected right arm shell fragment wound residuals contributed substantially to his demise. The appeal related to VA aid and attendance or housebound benefits as the Veteran's surviving spouse is being remanded.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death, which was cirrhosis of the liver with an interval of years between onset and death due to hemochromatosis, is related to service-connected conditions. The Board finds in favor of granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for a clothing allowance is being remanded due to the need for clarification of requirements and additional evidence, including treatment records from the VA Prosthetic Treatment Center in Oklahoma City.