Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral eye disorder, to include macular degeneration, is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left thigh, as well as his requests to reopen claims for defective vision and a right hand condition. The decision also noted that the Veteran withdrew appeals regarding earlier effective dates for certain awards.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for SMC based on anatomical loss of one or both breasts is denied as the law does not allow for a retroactive award prior to the effective date of the liberalizing legislation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to her request for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board denied service connection for forgetfulness, finding that it was a symptom of the already service-connected PTSD and not separate from it. The claim to reopen was also denied.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records, conduct examinations for the Veteran's bilateral foot disability and service-connected dental condition, and determine whether the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the appellant, who is the Veteran's daughter and now deceased, was permanently incapable of self-support prior to her 18th birthday due to mental illness. Therefore, she is recognized as a helpless child for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that the appeal is not about service connection and instead pertains to payment or reimbursement for medical expenses. The Veteran's claim was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for psychotic disorder, not otherwise specified, is denied as a matter of law.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his 100 percent disability rating for service-connected psychotic disorder, not otherwise specified, is also denied as a matter of law.

The Board has ordered a paid and due audit to determine the correct dates for adding and removing the Appellant, her sons G.H. and D.H., from their DIC benefits award.

The Veteran's death was not determined to be service-connected, and the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 because he did not meet the criteria for a 'deceased veteran' as defined in the regulation.

The Veteran's case is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before the Board at the RO.

The Board finds that the evidence is roughly in equipoise on whether prior authorization was given for the Veteran's care at St. Vincent's Ambulatory Care Center on April 1, 2011, and grants payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during this episode.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board has dismissed it.

The Board denied service connection for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, finding that the cancer was not related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The appellant's claim is based on a presumption of exposure due to Agent Orange, but the VA Independent Medical Examiner concluded there was less than a 50% probability that the cancer was caused by this exposure.

The Board denied the appellant's request for a Government-furnished headstone or grave marker for the Veteran, finding that eligibility was not established due to the Veteran's death occurring prior to the date authorized by law.

The Board has directed the RO to adjudicate both the TDIU claim and a separate issue of an increased rating for right upper extremity paresthesia. The case is remanded due to failure to comply with previous directives.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for adenocarcinoma of the lung and bone metastasis was first received on October 19, 2010. The Board finds no earlier informal claim upon which an earlier effective date can be based.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia or liver damage, as there is no evidence of current disabilities and the March 2012 VA examination concluded that his symptoms are related to an inherited disorder rather than active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining outstanding treatment records.