Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board finds that the Veteran's right and left leg disabilities were not incurred in service or due to a service-connected disability. The VA examiner opined that her bilateral knee arthritis is less likely than not related to her military service.

The Veteran's surviving child is not entitled to death pension benefits for the years 2012, 2013, and 2015 to present due to her income exceeding the maximum allowable pension rate.

The Board has remanded the case for a hearing before the RO, and the overpayment of VA death pension benefits is denied.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's esophageal cancer to his military service, including exposure to herbicidal agents or ionizing radiation. The cause of death was therefore not deemed service-connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's porphyria cutanea tarda is not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bunions have been rated as noncompensable since July 20, 2010. The Board denied higher ratings for the left and right foot bunions (hallux valgus) prior to October 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015 respectively.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for non-service-connected burial benefits as she did not meet the criteria under VA regulations, including lack of service-connected disability at death and no pending compensation or pension claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for narcolepsy, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted since the last final denial in April 2002.

The Veteran's right calf muscle strain has been rated at a noncompensable (0 percent) level since September 30, 2009. The Board has now granted a 10 percent disability rating for the entire initial rating period from September 30, 2009.

The Veteran's prostate cancer rating was reduced from 100 to 40 percent effective April 1, 2011. The appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of his entitlement to higher special monthly compensation.

The Board found that the overpayment of $8,623.70 created as a result of removing the Veteran's former spouse as a dependent was properly created and denied his appeal.

The case is being remanded due to the Veteran not having been scheduled for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's service was not during a recognized period of war, and thus she does not meet the legal requirements for basic eligibility for nonservice-connected VA pension.

The Veteran's son, S.P., was permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 and is therefore recognized as a helpless child for VA purposes.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is seeking an earlier effective date for accrued benefits based on the service-connected disability of severe fronto-temporal dementia and also wishes to challenge a January 2006 rating decision denying service connection for a mental illness. The case must be remanded due to scheduling issues with the Appellant's requested hearing.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to September 27, 2007 has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a stroke is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted an increased apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits to the appellant for the period from June 11, 2010 through October 21, 2010. However, no increase was granted for the period from October 21, 2010 through January 1, 2011.

The Veteran's retinal vein occlusion of the left eye is service connected, while his nuclear sclerotic cataracts are not.