Other conditions decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for evulsion fracture proximal phalanx of 5th digit left hand and left foot first cuneiform non-displaced fracture.,Service connection was also granted for bilateral pes planus, which existed prior to service but increased in severity during service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for TDIU rating, and the Board has dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination to determine the nature, etiology, and severity of his bilateral hand disabilities and low back sprain.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the Appellant's failure to appear at her scheduled hearing and the RO's repeated use of an incorrect mailing address. The case is now returned for scheduling a new hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service personnel records and potential exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Veteran's cause of death claim is being reviewed with a focus on whether new evidence supports reopening the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's service does not meet the required 90 days of active duty for non-service connected pension benefits, as his discharge was due to convenience of government and he did not have a service-connected disability. The Board therefore denies the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right leg disability and left hip tendonitis were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ALS, which is service-connected due to its relation to his military service, was a contributory cause of his death by suicide in 2001. The Board finds that there is reasonable doubt as to whether the Veteran had mental unsoundness at the time of his suicide and thus grants service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to ALS, a condition that became presumptively service-connected in September 2008. However, the appellant remarried prior to this change and is therefore not eligible for retroactive DIC benefits.

The Board has determined that service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is not warranted based on the lack of evidence showing a service-connected disability was either the principal or contributory cause of his death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the Veteran's VA nonservice-connected disability pension benefits, finding that it would create undue financial hardship to apportion the benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of left elbow injury is being remanded due to the need for a current examination and additional records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease are not shown to be related to service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Korea. Therefore, the cause of his death is not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophaegeal reflux disease are related to his active duty service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for mesothelioma and pituitary adenoma, claimed as a brain tumor. The evidence did not support these diagnoses.

The Veteran's chronic motion sickness and dizziness, diagnosed as peripheral vestibulopathy, had its onset in service. The Board finds that the evidence supports granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran had provided all necessary information regarding his and his wife's marriages on the December 2007 form, which was received within one year of the April 2007 rating decision. Therefore, the appropriate effective date for the award of dependent compensation is July 1, 2006.