Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records from Rex Hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. His claim will be readjudicated after the new information and evidence are considered.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice and the appellant's request for a personal hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ALS, a condition incurred during his active service, was at least contributory to his death from cardiac arrest. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's blindness in the right eye and multiple retinal detachments following cataract surgery by VA were not reasonably foreseeable outcomes, warranting compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right knee disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to July 15, 2004 and from September 1, 2004.

The Board found that the infertility and sterility were preexisting conditions that did not worsen during service, thus denying service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current heart arrhythmias and residuals of rheumatic fever are directly related to his service, including a diagnosis of rheumatic fever in service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the left knee was denied as there is no evidence of instability or significant limitation in range of motion that would warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep disturbance, finding that his current diagnosed condition (sleep apnea) is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's neurological manifestation of the right lower extremity is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of any service-connected disability, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death (cancer of the epiglottis) to his military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for right and left hand arthritis, as well as right and left elbow DJD, have been granted. However, the Veteran is seeking an increased rating for Raynaud's syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of cold weather injuries to both hands and a left foot injury have been granted effective from August 6, 2007.,A disability rating of 20 percent is assigned for each hand with symptoms including arthralgia or other pain, numbness, or cold sensitivity plus hyperhidrosis. The Veteran's left foot injury is rated as moderate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for reopening his service connection claim for residuals of a back injury, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Veteran's bilateral Haglund deformity has been manifested by no more than moderate tenderness and pain on motion, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obesity and residuals of nasal septum surgery were denied. The claim for service connection for pes planus was also denied, but the Veteran received a compensable rating for tinea cruris.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his old soft tissue shrapnel injury to the right hand is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development of records.

The Veteran's skin disorder is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to his service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred on June 19, 2006 at a non-VA hospital due to lack of emergency condition and failure to obtain prior authorization.