Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical development regarding visual impairment and disfigurement related to the service-connected ptosis of the left eye.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a head injury, including a brain tumor.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding a motor vehicle accident during service that allegedly caused temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis of the left lower extremity, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to her period of active service. The reduction in rating for her knee disability from 10% to noncompensable level was also denied.

The veteran's death certificate confirmed that he died of lung and brain cancer, which established his eligibility for accrued benefits based on the evidence in the file at the time of his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of dental trauma and skin disorder. The skin disorder claim was found to be not well grounded.

The Board denied increased ratings for Osgood-Schlatter disease of both knees, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for postoperative bunionectomy of the left great toe, thus denying the reopening of the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for his service-connected varicose veins and did not find any evidence to support a claim of service connection for residuals of a scalp cyst.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disorder and basic eligibility for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claim and concluding that he does not meet the threshold requirements for eligibility for VA pension benefits.

The Board found that the veteran's cold injury in service provided a 'good explanation' for his current COPD, and thus granted service connection for a lung disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer, claiming it was due to herbicide exposure, as there is no competent evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any disease associated with herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 2, 1991, for a 60 percent disability evaluation for Crohn's disease. The case was remanded to consider matters raised in the Court's order.

The veteran's constant head pain, localized over the right occipital area, is attributed to a documented fall during his 1988 VA hospitalization. The Board finds this well-grounded and grants compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral leg condition, finding that the claim is decided on the merits and not based on any presumption or exposure.

The Board found that a partial waiver of the veteran's loan guaranty indebtedness was consistent with the principles of equity and good conscience, as it would not unjustly enrich him and considering his income and expenses, repayment of the balance without undue financial hardship is fair.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a fractured nose as secondary to his service-connected right eye disability.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death, as veterans' claims do not survive their deaths.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for cold weather injuries, to include arthritis and Raynaud's syndrome, is not well-grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence showing a relationship between his current conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the case should be remanded due to issues related to service connection for a skin rash and the severance of service connection for right lower extremity venous stasis. The veteran's claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability will be reconsidered.