Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted an increased rating of 30 percent for the service-connected shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right leg, which more nearly approximates moderately severe damage to Muscle Group XIV.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to be recognized as a helpless child of the veteran due to lack of evidence showing permanent incapacity for self-support before age 18.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for residuals of cold injuries to the feet cannot be reopened because no new and material evidence has been received.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his right mandible fracture residuals, finding that there is no evidence of moderate displacement or loss of motion/masticatory function.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected residuals of a right great toe fracture, finding that the disability did not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The veteran's right leg pain was sufficient to require immediate medical attention, and VA facilities were not feasibly available. The Board grants the claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses.

The veteran's household income exceeded the 2001 income limit for entitlement to VA health care without a copayment requirement, and thus he was required to pay the copayment for that period.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to by, a disability incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service. The cause of the veteran's death was malignant lymphoma, which occurred more than 11 years after discharge from service.

The Board found no evidence of chronic residuals of chemical burns to the veteran's arms and denied service connection for this condition.

The Board denied an increased rating for onychomycosis of the toes, finding that the current 30 percent evaluation was appropriate based on the medical evidence showing only minor symptoms and no systemic or nervous manifestations.

The veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of multiple joints was denied, and his claim for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection due to lack of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology. Additionally, it was determined that he is not entitled to special monthly compensation as his blindness renders him in need of assistance from another person.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for atrial fibrillation and an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for a lipoma on the back and declined to grant a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the veteran's gastrointestinal disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and denied his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current respiratory disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for service connection for angioneurotic edema as a symptom of PTSD with depressive disorder was granted, but the effective date is set at September 15, 1999. The TDIU claim was also granted, but not earlier than March 23, 1995.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is not related to service and denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and procedural issues, including failure to provide VCAA notification, obtain medical examination results, and request Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial fibrosis, and emphysema were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active service.