Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of reopening his defective vision service connection and denied his increased rating for flexion deformity of the middle finger of the left hand with weakness of grip.

The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome warrants a 10 percent rating, but her iliotibial band syndrome of the right hip does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the Veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor child, finding that the Veteran is reasonably discharging his responsibility for support and there is no hardship warranting a special apportionment.

The Veteran's service-connected fracture of the left femur is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, but does not warrant a higher rating.,Service connection for arthritis of the back and bilateral hips was denied because there is no evidence linking these conditions to his service or any injury in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of left and right tarsal tunnel syndrome did not originate in service or for many years thereafter, are not related to any incident during active service, and are not caused or aggravated by any service-connected disabilities. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and its residuals, are due to his in-service herbicide exposure. As a result, service connection is granted.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for a right arm disorder is not considered final due to the submission of relevant service records after the November 2008 rating decision. The case is now reopened and will be reconsidered.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral foot disability, including degenerative joint disease, calcaneal spur, and stable 4th digit deformity of the right foot, and callosities of the left foot. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart condition is denied as there is no current disability to support the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board making a decision.

The appellant's claim for a higher rate of special monthly DIC is denied as the law does not allow for an increase in her current maximum rate based on service-connected death and her residence outside the United States.

The Veteran and her spouse have met the requirements for a marriage under relevant State law, and their marriage is recognized for VA purposes as valid for dependency allowance.

The Board found that the appellant and the Veteran were legally divorced at the time of the Veteran's death, thus denying her claim for recognition as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.

The Veteran's income for the year 2006 to 2007 is excessive and exceeds the maximum annual rate of improved pension, thus denying his claim for VA non-service-connected disability pension benefits.

The Board determined that the withholding of VA compensation benefits from July 18, 2007 to the present due to the Veteran's status as a fugitive felon was improper and restored his VA disability benefits for the full period on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred from December 18, 2010 to December 24, 2010 was denied as she is not service connected and does not meet the criteria under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725.

The Veteran's mood disorder is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate given his symptoms. The appeal for increased ratings on other issues is granted.

The Veteran's insomnia is not shown to be related to any disease or injury incurred or aggravated during his active military service.

The Veteran's assets are not considered excessive for receiving nonservice-connected VA pension benefits with a special allowance for aid and attendance, for accrued benefits purposes.

The Board determined that the appellant's deceased husband did not have active service for purposes of nonservice-connected death pension benefits, and thus her claim was denied. The appeal is also dismissed as she has not provided new and material evidence to reopen a claim for accrued benefits.