Other conditions Board decisions

The Veteran's pleural fibrosis was not found to be related to his military service, including exposure to asbestos. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate examination reports, particularly regarding x-rays with a barium meal and the presence of partial obstruction.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under the 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a nose injury he sustained in 1954, which resulted from surgery and hospitalization at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in East Orange, New Jersey. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for PTSD remains at 50 percent, as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen her entitlement to basic eligibility for VA benefits due to a lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's son is over the age of 18 and not currently enrolled in school, so the requirements for an apportionment are not met.

The Veteran's application for an extension of eligibility for vocational rehabilitation services is denied as he does not qualify based on the law and there is no evidence of a serious employment handicap.

The Board found that the Appellant's character of discharge from military service is a bar to entitlement to VA compensation benefits due to his periods of being absent without official leave (AWOL).

The Veteran's disability manifested by food digestion and retention and esophageal achalasia, status-post left thoracotomy with Heller myotomy, was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not proximately due to, or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected back disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right hand disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition and the evidence does not establish continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current atrophy of the left testicle is a residual complication of mumps contracted during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ear disability manifested by drainage is denied as there was no diagnosed current condition.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of being recognized as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes due to a lack of legal authority, despite her assertions and evidence.

The Veteran's right clavicle fracture disability is currently evaluated at 20 percent, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran died in December 2006 due to acute respiratory failure, with bronchial pneumonia, post-ventricular atrial fibrillation, and decompensated pulmonary emphysema as contributing factors. The appellant claims that the Veteran's death was caused by improper shoulder surgery at a VA facility in April 2003.

The Veteran's right ear basal cell carcinoma and cataracts were not incurred in service. However, the Veteran was granted service connection for his right eye cataracts as a direct result of service.

The Board has determined that a comprehensive VA examination is necessary to address the current level of the Veteran's service-connected right forearm disability, and also to determine whether he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The case is therefore REMANDED for these actions.