Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's initial compensable disability evaluation for the service-connected right lower extremity disability is granted, with a rating of 20 percent. The Veteran's initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected left lower extremity disability is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities and surgical scars of the groin and abdomen are not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the appellant's acquired psychiatric disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder and a psychotic disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The preponderance of evidence clearly and unmistakably showed that her psychotic disorder existed prior to service and was due to its natural progression.

The Board denied basic eligibility for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits because the appellant's late husband did not have service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, in the service of the United States Armed Forces.

The Veteran's right and left trench foot disabilities are now rated at 30 percent each, resulting in a combined rating of 60 percent for both feet.

The Board has determined that the appellant's deceased husband did not have recognized service in the United States Armed Forces, and therefore is not a veteran for purposes of establishing eligibility for VA death benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to unavailability of service treatment records and additional active duty periods. The Veteran's disability must be evaluated based on all relevant periods.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left mandible fracture, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current left eye disability and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional VA treatment records are needed to fully evaluate the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin disability and gout. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinus bradycardia with arrhythmia and nonspecific T-wave change, claimed as a heart condition, cannot be reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claims for residuals of right hand and finger injury with arthritis, left ankle sprain with arthritis, and left big toe injury with arthritis were denied based on the absence of service connection.

The Veteran's cause of death was granted effective from September 27, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to a hearing request, and no specific decision on service connection is provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral knee disability, diagnosed as chondromalacia patella, is related to his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the decedent's death was due to his own willful misconduct, specifically alcohol intoxication and attempting to swim across a river in the dark. The evidence supports this conclusion.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities, specifically patellar hypermobility and chondromalacia osteochondritis desiccans with arthritis, are currently rated at 10 percent each. The current ratings do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings as there is no compensable limitation of motion in either knee.

The appellant withdrew the appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the appellant did not receive any VA compensation or pension benefits at the time of his death. The Veteran had no pending claims for these benefits either. Therefore, non-service connected burial benefits were denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying service to be eligible for the one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

The Veteran's unreimbursed medical expenses of $2,370 for 2009 were properly considered in a recomputation of his income that resulted in issuance of a $1,212 retroactive VA pension benefits payment; no further amount of pension benefit is necessary to account for such medical expenses.