Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Veteran died from brain cancer, which the Board found was not related to service or a service-connected condition. The claim for cause of death is denied.

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

The Veteran's medical services at a non-VA facility on August 29, 2013 were not authorized in advance by VA and thus do not meet the criteria for payment or reimbursement under applicable regulations.

The Veteran's mallet, long finger of the right hand was found to have pain and limited motion but with a gap less than one inch between the fingertip and the proximal transverse crease of the palm. The Veteran is therefore granted service connection for this condition with a noncompensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's annual income exceeded the maximum annual pension rates for a veteran with one dependent, thus denying his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including clarification of the presence or absence of malunion/nonunion in both left and right tibia and fibula fractures.

The Board found that the Veteran's right eye disability did not originate during service and is not otherwise etiologically related to service. The Board also denied secondary service connection for a low back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected hallux rigidus of the right great toe with degenerative joint disease, status-post several surgeries is rated at a maximum disability rating of 10 percent. The Veteran does not meet criteria for an increased rating as he is already receiving the highest schedular rating available.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for updated VA treatment records and notification of unavailability of SSA records. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board denied service connection for syncopal episodes and a compensable rating for sarcoidosis, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's active service or service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for status post healed fracture of the left pubis and ischium with left hip arthritis was granted, with a 10 percent disability rating effective from May 28, 2009. The issue of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities remains pending.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right hip disorder as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's shell fragment wound, abdominal wallet, slight, with small foreign body in the lower chest and T-12 vertebra.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund as her spouse, finding that he did not have qualifying service in the United States Armed Forces.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining her SSA records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected schizoaffective disorder is rated at 70 percent since June 21, 2002.,The Veteran was granted a TDIU rating from June 17, 2005.

The Board found that the Veteran's character of discharge was dishonorable due to willful and persistent misconduct, including multiple offenses at Special Courts Martial. The appellant's surviving spouse is therefore barred from receiving VA death benefits.

The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms of fatigue, shakiness, and general malaise are best explained by idiopathic postprandial syndrome, which had its onset during military service.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical treatment at a private facility was denied as the services were not authorized in advance by VA and there was no emergency that would have made it hazardous to delay seeking care.