Other conditions decisions — 2000

The veteran's death is being reviewed, and the appellant has raised a claim related to Agent Orange exposure. The case must be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's ulcer condition was incurred during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the appellant withdrew his request for a hearing and did not wish to pursue the issue of service connection for skin disorder.

The Board found the claim of service connection for iliotibial band release of both hips not well grounded and denied it. The issue of an increased rating for left inguinal hernia is pending.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension benefits for aid and attendance is being remanded due to the need for further development, including a VA examination to assess his visual acuity.

The veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a liver disorder resulting from surgery performed in February 1998 at the VAMC in Augusta, Georgia was denied.

The Board found no medical evidence linking the veteran's current respiratory disability to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected defective hearing in the right ear is currently rated as noncompensable, and an increased evaluation is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection of an inflammatory disorder of the joints and feet was not well-grounded, as there was no medical evidence linking his current condition to military service. The effective date for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits was denied.

The Board denied the claim for VA dependency and indemnity compensation benefits for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no competent evidence linking the radiation treatment to his death.

The veteran's claim for earlier effective date of February 26, 1997 for nonservice-connected pension benefits is granted.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for diplopia and found that new and material evidence has been presented. The issue is now on its merits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is plausible and well-grounded, allowing the appeal to proceed. The RO should obtain VA treatment records from Los Angeles Medical Center (from May 1984 to 1994) and Daytona Beach Medical Center (from 1994 to November 1996), as well as any current treatment records from Daytona Beach that are not currently of record.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary atherosclerotic disease is secondary to nicotine dependence, which began during service and continued after service. As such, the claim for secondary service connection is granted.

The Board has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected chronic left hip strain, effective from November 27, 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a bronchial disorder due to lack of evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an eye disorder, to include retinal detachment of the right eye, as a result of VA treatment or program of VA vocational rehabilitation due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the condition to such treatments.

The VA denied the appellant's request for a waiver of recovery of an overpayment of improved death pension benefits due to her failure to report additional income and her inability to repay the debt.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral defective hearing is well grounded. The evidence shows that the veteran currently suffers from chronic, bilateral defective hearing and had such during his period of active military duty.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for Sjogren's syndrome, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.