Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's skin disability is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining medical records. The claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and information from SSA. The Veteran died of pancreatic cancer, which is claimed to be related to his herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his right knee disability and an effective date prior to August 28, 2006, for service connection were granted. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of the reopened claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a coccygeal injury. The Veteran's testimony at his August 2010 hearing, combined with medical records indicating chronic coccygeal discomfort, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's disability compensation benefits to a 10% rate was improper due to inadequate notice prior to the decision, and thus restores his original 30% rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's allergic rhinoconjunctivitis had demonstrated actual improvement and granted restoration of a 30 percent rating effective December 1, 2008.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a nerve injury of the left leg, as the evidence does not relate to the fact that the injury was due to willful misconduct.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a travel board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling a personal or video conference hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating, as it does not result in actual limitation of motion or function loss due to pain.

The appellant is not the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefit purposes.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Hampton Regional Medical Center on November 20, 2008 was denied because the treatment was not rendered in an emergency situation and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for benign prostatic hypertrophy and an increased rating for lumbosacral strain, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicides in service and insufficient medical evidence linking current conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for lichen simplex on and after 30 August 2002 was denied by the Board.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the Veteran's service-connected thoracic spine disorder, finding that the disability did not meet criteria for higher ratings based on ankylosis, severe intervertebral disc syndrome with intermittent relief, vertebral fracture, demonstrable deformity of a vertebral body, flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, or incapacitating episodes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's anemia clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, service connection for anemia is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a left hip disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected hyperkeratosis of both feet is rated at a 10% evaluation, reflecting localized or episodic cutaneous involvement with intermittent systemic medication required for less than six weeks during the past 12-month period.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to a lack of evidence in the claims file, including the February 2005 rating decision granting nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's varicose veins and associated ulcers in the right lower extremity are currently rated at 40% under Diagnostic Code 7120. The evidence shows persistent edema, subcutaneous induration, stasis pigmentation or eczema, and persistent ulceration warranting a higher rating of 60%. This decision grants an increased evaluation to 60%.