Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a tailbone condition, thus denying the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal involves two issues: the assignment of an effective date for a higher disability rating for narcolepsy and the grant of TDIU. The case is being remanded to obtain SSA records that may be relevant to these claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected pancreatitis is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new examination. The issue will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of right middle lobectomy and right upper lobe wedge resection was denied as there is no evidence showing that the additional disability was caused by VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar fault.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostatitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy has been reopened, but the Board denied his claims for increased rating and earlier effective date.

The Veteran seeks service connection for myelodysplastic syndrome and anemia, claiming it is related to Agent Orange exposure during his service in Vietnam. The claim is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current condition.

The Veteran's left below the knee amputation was caused by inadequate treatment at a VA Medical Center in March 2009, resulting in an additional disability. The recurrent incisional hernia is currently rated as 20 percent disabling.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge from military service was under conditions other than honorable due to willful and persistent misconduct, which constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's alopecia is presumed to have existed prior to service, and therefore granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and issuing a SOC on the increased evaluation claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic pulmonary/respiratory disability, finding that there was insufficient evidence to support the claim based on the June 2004 VA examination report and the lack of consideration of the June 2004 examiner's opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's duodenal ulcer disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA Rating Schedule.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for necrotizing fasciitis of the right knee, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher evaluation based on the current evidence.

The Board denied the appellant's request to reopen her claim for basic eligibility for VA benefits, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted since the July 2003 denial.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing a VA psychiatric examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's esophageal cancer, which developed many years after his military service, and his presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether it is related to his service-connected conditions or other factors. The claim will be returned for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound of the right hand with degenerative changes more nearly approximate involvement of two digits with limitation of motion due to ankylosis of the wrist in a position other than favorable, warranting a rating of 40 percent.

The Board finds that the reduction in disability compensation benefits due to incarceration for a felony conviction was proper, and thus denies the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right thumb injury, to include the right thumbnail, is denied as there is no competent or credible evidence of current disability.