Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to discrepancies in the evidence regarding the veteran's enrollment periods with the University of Phoenix. The claim will be reconsidered and a supplemental statement of the case provided if necessary.

The Board finds the veteran's service-connected left fifth finger condition is currently manifested by complaints of pain with X-ray evidence of degenerative changes, and does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The RO denied an increased evaluation for the service-connected right hip disability, and a compensable evaluation for the service-connected right area rib injury.,Service connection for prostate cancer was not granted due to lack of evidence linking it to herbicide exposure.

The Board found no evidence of a current peptic ulcer disease and concluded that the veteran's claimed condition is not related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal for initial compensable ratings for scars of the scalp and left knee was withdrawn. The issue of service connection for residuals of a right eye injury remains pending.

The veteran's claim for payment of unauthorized medical services provided by a private medical facility from June 21, 2004 to June 23, 2004 was denied as the evidence showed that his condition had stabilized and he could have been safely transferred to a VA medical facility after June 20, 2004.

The veteran is seeking service connection for ulcerative colitis, which he claims began during his military service. The Board has ordered additional development to obtain missing service records and a VA examination.

The veteran's apprenticeship program required a minimum of 8,780 hours and two years of formal schooling. The Board found that the veteran met these requirements and thus granted an extension of his educational assistance benefits.

The Board denied the appellant's eligibility for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 1606, Title 10, United States Code due to her discharge from the Selected Reserve on September 10, 2002, which was not due to a disability.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for treatment at Eastern Maine Medical Center from January 18, 2006 to January 20, 2006 are denied as the condition was already stabilized and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Board has determined that the veteran's Osgood-Schlatter's disease does not warrant an evaluation greater than 10 percent, as there is no evidence of moderate knee or ankle disability or limitation of motion.

The veteran's residuals, multiple fractures of the pelvis, have been productive of complaints of left hip pain and weakness; objectively, some limitation of motion, pain, and pelvic deformity have been demonstrated. However, there is no showing of a listing of whole spine to opposite side, positive Goldthwaite's sign, marked limitation of forward bending in standing position, loss of lateral motion with osteo-arthritic changes, narrowing or irregularity of joint space, or favorable ankylosis of the entire thoracolumbar spine. Therefore, the criteria for entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 20 percent have not been met.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right eye and right eyelid disorders are not due to VA carelessness, negligence, or lack of proper skill. The events were not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected chronic skin disease of the hands and feet, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher disability evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected duodenal ulcer treated by gastric resection contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the veteran's in-service diagnosis of exostosis and their current foot disorders.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected mitral valve prolapse does not warrant a compensable evaluation as it is currently asymptomatic and his MET level is at least 12 to 14.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed head injury clearly and unmistakably pre-existed his entry into active military service, and the residuals of that injury did not become permanently more disabling during such service. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted a higher apportionment of the veteran's benefits to the appellant in the amount of $328 per month, but no higher. The decision concludes that the appellant experienced significant financial hardship and her monthly income exceeded her expenses.

The Board found that the veteran's neuropathic pain of the right and left lower extremities were not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or similar fault. The veteran was not specifically cleared to engage in strenuous physical activities which may have aggravated his condition.