Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent, effective from August 22, 2011. The left knee and ankle disabilities are each rated at 20 percent, also effective from August 22, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left knee disabilities have been rated at 10 percent each, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of a cold injury of both feet is granted as the evidence shows that these residuals are related to his in-service exposure to cold.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and no jurisdiction remains for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's skin disability of the feet is related to service or diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected restrictive lung disease with pulmonary fibrosis, honeycombing, and bronchiectasis warrants a staged rating of 30 percent from October 22, 2010 to December 1, 2011; and 60 percent (but no higher) from December 1, 2011.

The Board found that the Veteran was properly divorced from his first two wives and legally married to the appellant, thus finding that the appellant should be recognized as the Veteran's dependent for VA purposes.

The Veteran's MRSA was not shown to be causally related to the VA medical treatment she received in April through June 2007, and her claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement or payment of the Steady Flow with HEC-RAS course provided by USACE in October 2011 was denied as the course is not an approved certification or licensure examination and does not result in certification or licensure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a supplemental medical opinion on the etiology of current bilateral foot disorders and whether any preexisting foot disorder(s) was aggravated during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left hip arthritis associated with congenital hip deformity were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's mesothelioma is as likely as not related to his in-service asbestos exposure, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate VA examination of the Veteran's shoulder. The Veteran is seeking a higher initial rating for his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's cause of death is related to his service-connected conditions, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and malaria. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death but dismissed the DIC claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 as it was a greater benefit.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's pterygium of the right eye has been evaluated as noncompensable since October 7, 1954. The VA examinations have shown that his vision is at least 20/40 or better in both eyes and there are no visual field defects or abnormalities in muscle function.

The claim has been rendered moot by the RO's award of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to address the nature and extent of his service-connected right 5th metatarsal head stress fracture and its relationship to any right 1st metatarsophalangeal joint disability. The claims are also inextricably intertwined with other raised claims regarding clear and unmistakable error in an August 1989 rating decision, as well as secondary service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a right leg disability and also denied his claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The appellant's claim for accrued benefits was denied as it was not filed within one year of the Veteran's death.