Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities and concluded that the veteran's claimed conditions were not aggravated during service.

The Board found that the veteran's symptoms of leg cramps and foot pain are part of his already service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, thus not constituting a separate condition for which service connection could be granted.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the residuals of a left groin injury, effective from November 7, 1991.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to a lack of timely filed substantive appeal.

The veteran's right thumb disability, including a scar on the dorsal aspect of the thumb, slight atrophy of the right thenar muscle, and functional impairment (fatigue) on repeated use, is granted as service-connected.

The Board finds that the appellant is recognized as the surviving spouse of the veteran for VA purposes, and her claim is granted.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current chronic lung disability to his military service, and thus denied the claim as not well-grounded.

The veteran is seeking to reopen his claims for presumptive service connection for residuals of beri beri and post-traumatic arthritis of multiple joints. The Board has determined that new evidence was submitted, but the decision on whether these claims are granted or denied remains pending.

The Board found that the claim was not well-grounded and denied service connection for bilateral avascular necrosis of the hips.

The Board has determined that further development of the evidence is required to determine how the overpayment was created and if the appellant's circumstances have changed. The claim will be reviewed again after this additional information is obtained.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen his forfeiture of VA benefits, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. If reopened, the RO must then determine whether the reopened claim is well grounded.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's death to military service or any previously service-connected condition, thus denying the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral defective hearing was denied as his auditory acuity in both ears equated to level II, corresponding to a noncompensable rating.

The veteran is seeking higher disability evaluations for his service-connected post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The RO has assigned a 10 percent evaluation from January 15, 1992 to August 11, 1998 and a 30 percent evaluation effective August 12, 1998. The issues are mixed as some aspects of the claim have been granted while others have not.

The Board found that the veteran's fatal injuries sustained on March 5, 1997 were caused by his own willful misconduct due to operating a motorcycle recklessly while legally intoxicated. The death was not incurred in line of duty and thus denied for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits.

The veteran's appeal for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, Title 38, United States Code, was denied as he exhausted his entitlement to benefits on July 7, 1997 and the enrollment period ended on July 12, 1997.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left foot disability, including residuals of a fracture of the left arch. The evidence did not support a finding that any current condition was incurred or aggravated during service.