Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has ordered additional development to address whether the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including dizziness and joint pain, are related to an undiagnosed illness experienced during service in the Persian Gulf War. The claims will be remanded for further consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for lateral epicondylitis of the left elbow and assigned a 10 percent disability rating. The Veteran's dermatitis of the bilateral hands is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand and leg disabilities due to incomplete information from private treatment records. The case must be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of service connection for a skin disorder of the head and face, entitlement to an increased rating for residuals of a right inguinal hernia, and entitlement to TDIU will be adjudicated after these steps are completed.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to address whether in-service malaria infection caused or contributed to coronary artery disease, which led to death from cerebrovascular accident.

The Veteran's NOD was timely filed, and the Board has determined that his claim for Montgomery GI Bill education benefits should be remanded to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Board has determined that the appellant's character of discharge is a bar to VA benefits due to bad conduct. However, additional development is needed including obtaining service medical records and determining if the appellant was insane at the time he committed offenses resulting in his discharge.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left hip disability, including avascular necrosis and the residuals of a left total hip replacement, was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found no credible evidence of cold injuries during service and concluded that the Veteran's current symptoms are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right varicocele is unrelated to his renal disease, incontinence, lower extremity varicose veins, erectile dysfunction, and voiding frequency; is asymptomatic; and has no effect on his usual daily activities. As a result, the claim for a compensable rating was denied.

The Veteran's degenerative endplate disease of the thoracic spine was found to have its onset in service, and therefore service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right foot disorder is remanded due to inadequate medical evidence and the need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the evidence of record raised a claim of entitlement to TDIU based on the holding in Rice v. Shinseki, 22 Vet. App. 447 (2009), and denied entitlement to a TDIU. The case is now REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 30 percent for degenerative joint disease of the right forefoot with hammertoe was denied. The Board also found that there is insufficient evidence to grant TDIU based on service-connected disability.

The Veteran died in March 2014, and the appeal is dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for nerve damage to lips and lower mouth due to genioglossal advancement surgery on August 26, 2003.

The Board has found that adjudication of the issues on appeal would be premature and has ordered a videoconference hearing for the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral vascular disease was denied as there is no competent diagnosis of the condition. The issue of an initial rating higher than 30 percent for coronary artery disease remains pending.

The Board found that the reduction of the Appellant's monthly pension rate to $139.00 was proper due to an increase in her countable income, but determined that the effective date should have been February 28, 2010 instead of January 1, 2010.

The Veteran's residuals of a stroke were not the result of an event not reasonably foreseeable or any carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA. Therefore, the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residuals of a stroke is denied.