Other conditions decisions — 2000

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's acquired skin disorder and pulmonary disorder, finding that there was no evidence of exposure to mustard gas during service and insufficient medical evidence linking current conditions to such exposure.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for bilateral defective hearing, finding that new and material evidence was not presented to support the claim.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, but granted an increased rating for the right great toenail. The decision is mixed as it addresses both issues.

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, as well as insufficient medical evidence linking the veteran's terminal cancer to his military service or service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted, allowing the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for ulcers to be reopened. The claim is also considered well-grounded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to deficiencies in the December 1994 examination, including a lack of compliance with instructions to ensure that an examiner who had not previously examined the veteran was available and all indicated studies were performed.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation regarding a veteran's stepson's application for retroactive DIC benefits and establishment of service-connected death or entitlement to REPS benefits. The VARO is instructed to associate any additional documents, including separate files related to Chapter 35 of title 38, Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance, with the claims folder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of an injury to his right little finger and a skin disorder claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is pending.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal because she did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement regarding the Committee's May 1996 decision denying her request for a waiver of overpayment of VA death pension benefits.

The veteran's appeal for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 was denied as he did not meet the basic eligibility criteria.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's cause of death to nicotine dependence or tobacco use in service, and denied the claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim but determined that it is not well-grounded, as there is no evidence linking his current circulatory disorder to service.

The Board found that there was no medical evidence showing a nexus between the veteran's current low back disability and any events occurring during his hospitalization in 1986, thus denying the claim under Section 1151.

The Board has dismissed the appeal because the veteran died during the pendency of the appeal and thus no longer has jurisdiction to adjudicate the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for secondary service connection for left hip replacement and alcoholism were not well-grounded, as there was no medical evidence supporting these claims. The claim for increased evaluation of PTSD remains pending.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The evidence now submitted is considered new and material, making it plausible that the veteran's condition was associated with his military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected low back disorder was denied by the RO, as the schedular criteria for a 60 percent rating were not met.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for a shell fragment wound to the jaw and gum is not well-grounded. The claims for increased evaluations are denied as there is no evidence linking current disabilities to service or showing they meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim is well-grounded and grants service connection for leg ulcers and phlebitis, attributing it to aggravation of a pre-existing condition during service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for disability benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to impotence and additional disability of the left lower extremity, finding that there was no evidence showing a causal relationship between VA treatment in 1993 and 1994 and the current conditions.