Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran and the Appellant were divorced in April 1971, and the Appellant accepted the divorce in March 1982. The Veteran remarried in January 2001 to a woman who was still his spouse at the time of his death in November 2004. There is no legal authority to recognize the Appellant as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA purposes.

The Veteran's cause of death, aspergillus pneumonia due to recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (large cell), is attributable to his in-service exposure to petroleum products. The Board finds the opinions supporting this conclusion more probative than the earlier VA opinion.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional records and a VA examination, as well as consideration of TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death, and denied both claims for service connection for cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, as it has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Board found no residuals of cold injury of the upper or lower extremities during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran disagrees with the finding that he is incompetent to manage his VA benefits. The case is being remanded for an additional competency examination.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a sinus disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's Graves' disease does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 7903, which pertains to hypothyroidism. The evidence shows that he requires medication and experiences fatigue but no constipation or mental sluggishness.

The Board found that the cause of death, myocardial infarction due to congestive heart failure and arteriosclerotic disease, was not related to service-connected conditions. The Veteran's death was attributed to other causes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, basal tongue with nodal metastases to the right neck, including as secondary to herbicide and asbestos exposure. The evidence did not show that the cancer was related to service or any presumptive conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal as her request for an earlier effective date was not a specific error of fact or law, but rather a procedural issue due to the finality of the Board's decision.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for hospitalization from October 9 to October 11, 2008 were not reimbursable because his condition had stabilized by the morning of October 9 and he could have been safely transferred to a VA facility.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's organic psychotic disorder/dementia, including whether it is related to in-service head trauma. The case is remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's hidradenitis suppurativa is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that an initial increased rating of 50 percent is warranted based on the severity of his symptoms.

The Board found that the Veteran's service connection claim for a dental disorder was granted, with a rating of 20 percent and effective date not specified. The increased evaluation claim for his left supraclavicular wound muscle group (MG) XXII was also granted.

The appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the Veteran's gout disorder did not manifest during service and is not etiologically related to his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining more detailed information about the Veteran's employment and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.