Other conditions decisions — 2005

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's Hodgkin's disease is not related to his active service or exposure to ionizing radiation, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the appellant did not become permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining the age of eighteen, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and readjudication, including a VA examination.

The Board found that there is no current disability of the bladder and concluded that the veteran's reported incontinence symptoms do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for mitochondrial myopathy of the lower extremities, which he claims resulted from taking Lipitor (atorvastatin) prescribed by a VA physician at Bay Pines VA Medical Center. The case is being remanded to ensure proper notification and development of evidence.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for a compensable initial rating for testalgia and an increased rating for irritable bowel syndrome, stating that there was no evidence of painful scars or significant impairment in earning capacity.

The veteran's claim for service connection for carcinoma of the lung, claimed as a result of Agent Orange exposure, is being remanded due to potential errors in application of regulations and VCAA requirements.

The Board has determined that the appellant's late husband had no valid military service in the United States Armed Forces, and thus she is not eligible for VA benefits. The evidence received since October 1999 does not present new and material evidence to reopen her claim.

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

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for residuals of a fracture of the right foot was granted, with no specific rating assigned.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for non-service-connected death pension benefits and accrued benefits due to a lack of legal merit, as the veteran had no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and determining whether the veteran was exposed to asbestos during service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the veteran's gastrointestinal disorder and its relationship to service-connected appendectomy scar with drained pelvic abscess.

The Board denied an increase in the veteran's 20 percent rating for a duodenal ulcer with gastric distention and did not address his claim for TDIU.

The case is being returned to the RO for further evaluation due to a potential issue with payments made to an HMO in 2003, which may affect the veteran's income eligibility for pension benefits.