Other conditions Board decisions

The appeal is being remanded due to the appellant's request for a Board hearing at a local VA office. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling the Veteran for a hearing.

The Veteran's pleurisy is found to be related to his service-connected residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran died of metastatic lung carcinoma with pulmonary emphysema contributing to death. Neither condition was service-connected at the time of his death, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's skin condition, including lesions on his head and left foot, is related to his service, specifically Agent Orange exposure. The other skin conditions are not likely due to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for trichuriasis was denied as he failed to appear for a necessary VA examination without providing good cause.

The Veteran's malignant gastrointestinal stromal cell tumor, claimed as stomach cancer, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not otherwise related to service. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including affording the Veteran a VA examination to address his bilateral optic atrophy and TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected defective vision of the left eye and scotoma, para-central, have been rated as 20 percent and 10 percent disabling respectively. The Board finds that these ratings are appropriate based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran is seeking VA compensation for memory loss and speech impairment allegedly caused by prescribed medication. The case was remanded to obtain additional evidence, but the examination report from the VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale or opinion regarding the cause of the disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for cold injury residuals of the right and left hands, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7122.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (ankylosing spondylitis) preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for varicose veins and left leg thrombosis, finding that preexisting varicose vein disability was not aggravated by service.,Left leg thrombosis is unrelated to varicose veins or service.

The Board found that the appellant's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, leading to a reduction and termination of her VA death pension benefits effective December 1, 2004, and August 1, 2006.

The VA determined that the Veteran's additional disabilities/post-operative complications were not due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or a similar instance of fault on the part of VA providers, nor the result of an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's residuals of a left ulna fracture have been manifested by painful motion with no ankylosis. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claim for a higher rating.

The Veteran is seeking a higher initial disability evaluation for her lower back strain, which is currently rated at 20 percent. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's residual scar from pilonidal cyst surgery is rated as a noncompensable disability, but the claim for an initial compensable rating has been granted.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appellant is denied recognition as his surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes. Accrued benefits are also denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have service as a member of the Philippine Commonwealth Army, including recognized guerrillas, in the service of the United States Armed Forces. Therefore, he is not eligible for one-time payment from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for one-time payment from the FVECF due to a certification by the service department that he did not have the requisite service to establish eligibility.