Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for actinic keratosis is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine the extent of his disability.

The Board has determined that the appellant's spouse had qualifying service as a member of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE) in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including the recognized guerillas and Philippine Scouts during World War II. The Veteran's service is certified by the NPRC as Regular Philippine Scouts from July 1945 to May 16, 1947, which qualifies for pension benefits.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding no evidence that any in-service condition caused or contributed to his death.

The Veteran's service is not considered qualifying wartime service, thus the claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits is denied.

The appellant withdrew his appeal for payment of agent fees from past-due benefits resulting from the April 2011 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for periodontitis and residual tooth extraction, claimed as secondary to or aggravating his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is being remanded for further development by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain outstanding medical records and for a VA examination to assess the severity of his low back disability, including any associated radiculopathy. The claim will be readjudicated based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's pension and special monthly pension benefits were granted, but the appellant is seeking accrued benefits derived from additional unreimbursed medical expenses. The Board finds that no such accrued benefits are warranted as there was no submission of new evidence or information to support the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neurological disability, which includes upper motor neuron ALS and PLS, is service-connected based on direct evidence of a connection to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which was listed as 'undetermined' on his death certificate, is due to a combination of service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease and exposure to Agent Orange. As arteriosclerotic heart disease is considered presumptively related to Agent Orange exposure, the Board grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the removal of his spouse as a dependent was denied by the Board. The decision stated that the divorce decree was finalized on June 1, 2012 and therefore the effective date for removing the spouse as a dependent is July 1, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pituitary adenoma had its onset during her military service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Appellant is not recognized as the surviving spouse of the Veteran for VA death benefits purposes due to her divorce from the Veteran and lack of subsequent common-law marriage.

The appeal is being remanded to the VA RO for scheduling a Board video-conference hearing and updating the appellant's address information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not shown to exist at any time during the pendency of the appeal, and his alcohol and marijuana abuse are considered a result of willful misconduct. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left hand fourth finger fracture was not caused or aggravated by her service-connected right ankle disability, and thus denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the etiology of his epistaxis and another VA examination to determine the severity of his lumbar spine degenerative disease.

The Board found no evidence of a current respiratory disability and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's mesothelioma is found to be incurred in service due to asbestos exposure, and the claim for service connection is granted.