Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has determined that the reduction from a 70 percent evaluation to a 60 percent evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was properly made and effective as of June 1, 2002.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for service-connected poliomyelitis remains pending due to the maximum schedular rating not being assigned. The case is remanded for further development, including a VA medical examination and readjudication.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability related to the veteran's service, and thus denied his claims for service connection for an irregular heartbeat and residuals of head trauma.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death, lobar pneumonia, was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not related to any pre-existing condition. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to the complicated nature of the veteran's lung disease and the need for a detailed discussion of his medical history, including exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was caused by peritonitis due to rupture of the cecum, which is a gastrointestinal condition. The claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left arm are productive of mild left radial neuropathy, warranting an increased rating of 20 percent.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral deafness, finding that his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine if the veteran's hearing problems resulting in dizziness caused him to fall and fracture his right 5th metatarsal.

The appeal for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is dismissed because service connection for the cause of the veteran's death has already been granted.

The VA denied a higher rating for the veteran's prostate cancer, stating that his condition does not meet criteria for a higher evaluation and that he is not entitled to an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's recurrent fevers are related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for residuals of a back injury, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right leg weakness and head injury are related to service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable that the veteran's service-connected left leg vascular disease had increased in severity to a degree warranting a total rating based on individual unemployability within one year prior to his September 12, 2002 claim. The effective date remains unchanged at the date of receipt of the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of information regarding SSA benefits filed on behalf of the veteran's child prior to June 1, 1998. The effective date for DIC award remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death, accrued benefits, and nonservice-connected death pension due to lack of evidence supporting exposure to herbicides or other service-connected conditions.

The Board finds that the veteran's Sjogren's syndrome was incurred as a result of his military service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left upper extremity disorder and an increased evaluation for intervertebral disc syndrome, finding no evidence of such disorders being related to his service or service-connected conditions.