Other conditions decisions — 2015

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for a SOC on death pension benefits and scheduling of a Travel Board hearing for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of right hand metacarpal and right fifth digit distal interphalangeal fracture dislocation was denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for this condition was also denied.,The Veteran sought an earlier effective date than October 22, 2009, for his service connection claim.

The Veteran's skin disorder claim was denied as he does not have a current skin disorder. His prostate cancer claim was granted with an initial evaluation of 10 percent effective August 20, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's meningioma and its residuals are related to his exposure to herbicides during service, specifically Agent Orange. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for microcytic anemia, variously diagnosed as iron deficiency anemia and B-12 deficiency anemia is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if there is a nexus between his current condition and his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing impairment had substantially improved, warranting a reduction from a 30% disability rating to noncompensable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his thoracic spine disability. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy, and TDIU are also pending.

The Veteran's service was entirely outside of recognized periods of war, and therefore his surviving spouse is not eligible for non-service-connected death pension.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Appellant's request for a DRO hearing, and the appeal is now pending again after the hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's IgA nephropathy is related to his service-connected blastomycosis of the lungs and whether it was aggravated by that condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining verification of the Veteran's service at Camp Lejeune and obtaining a VA examination to address the etiology of his gastrointestinal disorder. The appeal is not about service connection in this context.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the apportionment of his VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor children, and wants it to be paid to his brother L.L.R. instead of the current payee.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an increased apportionment of VA disability benefits on behalf of the Veteran's minor child, C.B.S., due to the Appellant's failure to respond to requests for evidence and her abandonment of the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's constrictive bronchiolitis warranted a 10 percent rating on an extraschedular basis, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran is seeking reimbursement for private medical treatment expenses incurred at Mercy Health Hackley Campus Hospital on October 31, 2013. The VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan has been remanded to secure all pertinent records and review the claim.

The Veteran's emergency transportation services on May 1, 2011 are eligible for payment by the VA as they meet all criteria under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725.

The Veteran's application for a VA annual clothing allowance for the year 2013 was not filed within one year of the anniversary date (August 1) for which entitlement is initially established, and thus his claim is denied.

The Veteran died prior to November 1, 1990 and is buried in a private cemetery. As the law currently stands, VA will not provide a Government headstone or marker for privately marked graves of eligible veterans interred in private cemeteries.

The Veteran's left elbow tendonitis has been rated at 10 percent since the grant of service connection in 2007. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted as there was no limitation of motion or other symptoms that would justify an increased rating.

The Veteran's ADHD, which was present before service, was aggravated by superimposed PTSD during active service, resulting in increased disability. The Board finds that the criteria for establishing entitlement to service connection for ADHD have been met.