Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's neck disability is service-connected, as it was incurred during his military service.

The VA has determined that recovery of the loan guaranty indebtedness would not be against equity and good conscience, as the veteran was at fault in creating the debt. The Board found no undue financial hardship for the veteran.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) found that there was no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder to an incident of service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his thoracic spine disability, finding that the current evaluation of 10 percent already accounts for significant functional impairment due to severe pain and limited motion.

The Board denied the appellant's request for waiver of recovery of an overpayment of Section 306 death pension benefits because it was not timely filed.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's service to his cause of death, which was due to severe congestive heart failure. The claim is denied as not well-grounded.

The veteran's claim for secondary service connection for idiopathic ventricular hypertrophy is granted. The veteran's loss of vision in the right eye due to VA treatment is also granted, with a rating of 10 percent. However, his increased evaluation for pericardial disease (previously rated as rheumatic heart disease) remains at 10 percent.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for post-operative residuals of a fractured vertebra at L1 is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and development.

The veteran's death was not due to service-connected disability, and he did not have a pending claim for VA benefits at the time of his death. Therefore, he is ineligible for VA burial benefits.

The Board denied service connection for an eye condition, including residuals of flash burns, in November 1972. New and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims should be redesignated as follows: service connection for skin symptoms of the face and neck as a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness, and service connection for skin symptoms of the feet as a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness. The RO denied these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's current skin condition is related to his service, particularly his service in tropical climates. The claim for service connection was granted.

The veteran's spondylolisthesis, L4 over L5, is currently rated at 20 percent and the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's schizoaffective disorder was not incurred or aggravated during his active military service and therefore denied the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's failure to adhere to his Individualized Written Rehabilitation Plan (IWRP) in maintaining satisfactory academic progress warranted discontinuation of his Chapter 31 benefits effective June 24, 1996. The appeal was denied as there were no grounds for overturning this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and therefore denied claims for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 and eligibility for dependents' educational assistance.

The Board found no evidence linking the cause of death (subarachnoid hemorrhage) to any service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board found no evidence that VA medical treatment caused any additional cardiovascular disability, and thus denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left eye injury, finding no competent medical opinion linking his current complaints to his in-service injury.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the cause of death to service and denied the claim.