Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the appellant is a helpless child for VA purposes due to her severe congenital disability, Holt-Oram syndrome, which rendered her incapable of self-support prior to reaching age 18.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of active pulmonary disease and thus, service connection for a pulmonary disorder is denied.

The appellant was found to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to age 18 due to severe medical conditions and educational limitations, leading to a finding in her favor as a helpless child.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for non-service-connected pension benefits as he did not have qualifying active service during a period of war.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for Hodgkin's disease and a temporary total rating due to hospitalization for the condition are being remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current left hip disorder and did not find any evidence of chronic disability during service or post-service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a left hip disorder was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the eligibility requirements for educational assistance benefits and denied his claim.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal regarding special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of his left foot, leg, and back injuries are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development.

The Veteran's death was caused by hairy cell leukemia, which is associated with exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Service connection for the cause of his death is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back condition, characterized as post-operative herniated discs, L4-5, with left foot drop, did not manifest during service and was not aggravated by service. The Board also determined that it is less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disability.

The Board determined that the Veteran's death during active service was in the line of duty and thus entitled to survivors benefits including DIC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neuroendocrine thymic carcinoma is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service, including herbicide exposure. As such, the claim for service connection for neuroendocrine thymic carcinoma is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for mental competency, accrued benefits, and an earlier effective date for DIC benefits. The appeals were dismissed as moot due to the death of the initial appellant.

The Veteran's spouse applied for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 prior to August 12, 2015, but the VA denied her claim as her application was received more than one year after the date of the initial rating decision establishing his service-connected permanent and total disability.

The Board denied service connection for an eye condition, finding no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service. The Veteran's in-service injury did not result in residual damage or deficit.

The Veteran's widow is seeking service connection for the cause of his death, which she claims was due to radiation exposure during service. The Board has determined that remand is necessary to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of her husband's chronic lymphocytic leukemia and to properly adjudicate the DIC and accrued benefits issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an appropriate examination. The TDIU claim will also be addressed in the initial adjudication.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the issue of service connection for bilateral big toe and left little toe disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes is denied. However, he meets the requirements for Class II(a) VA outpatient dental treatment.