Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's widow was not entitled to payment of pension benefits for the period from March 2009 until she died, and accrued benefits based on such entitlement are not warranted.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for verification of service from the appropriate service department.

The appellant seeks to establish his entitlement as a Veteran for the purpose of receiving a one-time payment from the FVEC Fund. The VA is remanding this case due to insufficient verification of service, and requests that the appellant provide additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neurocardiogenic syncope with cardioinhibitory mechanism and drug toxicity warrants a rating of 30 percent effective January 30, 2014. Prior to this date, the disability was rated as 20 percent.

The Board finds that the effective date of October [redacted], 2008 is correct for the reduction in compensation rate due to incarceration. The Veteran's disagreement was not about the effective date but rather about the overpayment calculation.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for verification of service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including the recognized guerillas, in the service of the United States Armed Forces. The appellant's claim will be reconsidered after this development.

The Veteran's liver cancer is found to be related to his service as a water purification specialist in Vietnam, despite the VA examiner's initial opinion that it was less likely caused by exposure to clonorchis sinensis. The case has been remanded for further examination and consideration of medical literature.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development and examination, including obtaining outstanding VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination of his left leg.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertrophic gastritis did not result in symptoms such as anemia, weight loss, or recurrent incapacitating episodes at any point during the period on appeal. Therefore, her claim for a higher rating was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of urethrovaginal fistula and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board found that the grant of service connection for residuals of thoracic fusion with scoliosis was clearly and unmistakably erroneous, and thus severed the award.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed benign essential tremor was not caused or aggravated by his active service or a service-connected disability, including acne vulgaris.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostatitis was manifested by a daytime voiding interval between one and two hours, and nighttime awakening to void three times per night. The Veteran did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on urinary frequency or obstructed voiding.

The Veteran's service-connected Thygeson's superficial punctuate keratitis and early nuclear sclerotic cataract are rated at 10 percent, but the claim for tension headaches remains denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's discharge from service was under dishonorable conditions due to willful and persistent misconduct, including possession of marijuana during his service, failure to properly prepare for guard duty in February 1971, and going AWOL in June 1971. Therefore, the character of his discharge is a bar to VA benefits.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastric disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a pre-existing gastric disorder in service or any increase in severity during service, and concluded that his current condition is less likely related to service. For bilateral hearing loss, no compensable rating prior to October 8, 2008, and no increased rating after October 8, 2008, were granted.

The Veteran's left knee disability, including arthritis and meniscus tear, warrants a 10 percent rating for the entire period on appeal.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for posthumous entitlement to compensation during the Veteran's lifetime for service-connected cancer of the lung and esophagus, secondary to herbicide exposure. The earliest possible effective date is November 30, 1993.

The Board has determined that the appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for purposes of receiving VA death benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records, a VA examination, and correcting VCAA notice.