Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's current diagnosis of chronic inguinal neuralgia is not considered to be caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment. The Board finds that the event was not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's tremors of the hands are found to be secondary to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including medical examinations and opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a maxillary/mandibular disability and PTSD, finding that there was no current diagnosis of a chronic maxillary or mandibular disability. The claim for TDIU is remanded due to its dependency on the outcome of the service connection decision.

The Veteran's service-connected shrapnel wound to the right popliteal region and tender scar of the right knee are not rated higher than 10 percent. The Board found no evidence supporting a higher rating for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his arteriosclerosis obliterans of the right and left legs. The case is being remanded to allow for clarification of the VA examiner's opinions regarding the Veteran's current sensory and motor capacities, as well as whether he experiences claudication on walking.

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected sacroiliitis, but the most recent VA examination was insufficient and the case is remanded to afford another examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new medical opinion by a dermatology specialist to assess whether the Veteran's hidradenitis is related to service and any exposure to herbicides. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected colon cancer, which he developed due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. As a result, service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's polycythemia vera was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to his presumed herbicide exposure. As such, service connection for polycythemia vera cannot be granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of medical records and an opinion regarding the relationship between his service-connected condition and any new diagnoses.

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain SSA records and medical records related to those records. The claim will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected chronic conjunctivitis and bilateral recurrent pterygium, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable schedular criteria.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for status-post resection, frontotemporal meningioma due to new and material evidence. However, the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that his postoperative residuals are related to his service, including as due to exposure to ionizing radiation therein.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic muscular back strain is currently evaluated at 20 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher evaluation based on incapacitating episodes or unfavorable ankylosis. The claim for TDIU remains pending.

The Veteran's countable income for 2008 exceeded the maximum annual income limit for non-service connected disability pension benefits, and therefore his claim is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the surviving spouse of the Veteran, finding that her marriage to the Veteran cannot be deemed valid for VA purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a subtrochanteric fracture of right femur, with postoperative residuals of open reduction and internal fixation, as well as right hip sprain, are currently rated at 10 percent. The current evaluation adequately reflects the functional limitations described by the Veteran.

The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current onychomycosis is related to his active service, specifically while stationed in Panama. The claim for service connection is therefore considered 'mixed,' with some issues granted and others not.

The Board has remanded the case due to the appellant's request for a Travel Board hearing.