Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance or housebound status due to service-connected disabilities must be determined through a VA examination. The appeal is being remanded.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, specifically ulcerative proctitis. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to address the medical diagnostic and etiological questions regarding his pertinent diagnosis as well as any medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination and the provision of records from Dr. Jackson.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a head injury, to include post-concussion syndrome. Service connection was denied for the Veteran's left eye disability (status post retinal detachment repair).

The Board found no evidence of a right foot condition during service or within one year after discharge, and concluded that the current right foot complaints are not related to active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right arm shell fragment wound was denied. His hearing loss claim, which had previously been denied and not reopened, was also denied.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and therefore the appellant is not entitled to burial benefits in excess of $730.

The Veteran seeks additional dependency benefits for her son, S.H., from March 2005 to May 2009, and an effective date prior to September 1, 2009 for the award of dependency compensation for son, J.H., based on full-time school (i.e., college) attendance. The Veteran's claim was not received within one year from her sons' 18th birthdays, thus additional benefits are denied.,The earliest possible effective date for the award of additional dependency benefits based on J.H.'s school attendance is September 1, 2009, as it is the first month after the official beginning of the regular school term. The Veteran's claim was received within one year from her son's 18th birthday, thus an effective date prior to September 1, 2009 for J.H.'s school attendance is denied.

The Veteran's right thumb disability, characterized by ankylosis of the MCP joint and decreased motion in the IP joint, is currently rated at 20 percent. This rating reflects the combination of ankylosis and functional impairment.

The Board found that the reduction of the rating for bilateral saddle pulmonary embolus from 60 to 30 percent, effective November 1, 2010, was proper based on improvement in the disability and the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for accrued benefits as she is not a proper claimant and there were no accrued benefits due to her mother at the time of her death.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the appellant. The RO should consider this evidence and readjudicate the claim of entitlement to recognition as a 'helpless child' on the basis of permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining age 18.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a bilateral eye disability and granted it, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition worsened during his deployment to Vietnam. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the January 2007 rating decision is not new and material, and thus does not serve to reopen the claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for herpes simplex is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the severity of his condition and determine if any scars are related. The current rating under Diagnostic Code 7820 does not account for unstable or painful scars, which would require a different code.

The Veteran does not have a chronic right hand disability, including arthritis, and the claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability is rated at 40 percent since June 20, 2012. The claim for TDIU from December 1, 2009 to November 30, 2009 was dismissed due to the grant of SMC. For the period beginning on December 1, 2009, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular percentage criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board videoconference hearing. The initial rating for chronic adjustment disorder with depressed mood remains at 30 percent.