Other conditions decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell disease is being remanded due to the need for further development, including scheduling a hearing at his local VA office or in accordance with available accommodations at the correctional facility where he is incarcerated.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, as it has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current left hamstring or right thumb disabilities, and therefore denies service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's skin disability, including lumps on the legs and feet, is presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam due to exposure to Agent Orange. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if this condition was incurred during service.

The Board has granted the Appellant's claim for an effective date of November 18, 2007, for reinstatement of DIC benefits. The earliest possible effective date under the law is one year prior to the date the claim was received.

The Veteran's anorectal fistula disability is rated at 60 percent since June 18, 2010. The effective date for this rating is June 14, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than August 6, 1999, for the grant of service connection for left eye cataracts. The earliest correspondence that met the criteria for a claim was received on August 6, 1999.

The Veteran's cyst of the right epididymis, residual scars post excision of cyst, recurrent, has been manifested by pain and tenderness. The Board finds that a 10 percent disability rating is warranted for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for influenza and a nervous disorder, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, and he is now entitled to a 30 percent rating for his service-connected nephrolithiasis effective September 1, 2010. The issue of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for the same condition remains pending.

The Board found that the appellant and the Veteran were not validly married at the time of the Veteran's death, thus denying her claim for recognition as his surviving spouse for VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current mailing address needs to be identified, and a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge must be scheduled at his last known address.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a stomach condition and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The appellant's claim for accrued benefits is denied as she is not a spouse, child or dependent parent of the Veteran and did not pay for his last sickness or burial.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a carcinoma of the larynx is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, chronic myelogenous leukemia, was likely caused by his exposure to Agent Orange during service. As such, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for retinal detachment, repair, right eye has been withdrawn by his representative.

The appellant withdrew her appeal regarding the claim of entitlement to nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the appellant's claim as he is not eligible for VA death benefits due to his age and lack of permanent incapacity at the time of his birth.