Other conditions decisions — 2000

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected hiatal hernia repair was denied by the RO. The veteran appealed this decision, and the case is now pending before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The VA has determined that the veteran's left knee chondromalacia does not warrant a higher evaluation than the current 20 percent rating.

The appellant's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents, thus denying her entitlement to improved death pension benefits.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis was dismissed due to his death.

The veteran requested to withdraw his appeal, and as a result, the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities of memory loss, nausea, joint pain, and fatigue were not shown to be related to service in the Persian Gulf War. The diagnoses provided by VA did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable regulations.

The Board found that the apportionment of the veteran's compensation benefits on behalf of his former wife and stepchild was properly awarded, considering financial hardship and reasonable amount under VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for obsessive compulsive neurosis and depressive personality disorder is not well-grounded, as there was no medical evidence showing a nexus between his current psychiatric disabilities and service. The veteran's claim for non-service-connected pension purposes remains pending.

The veteran's appeal for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 1606, Title 10, United States Code (formerly Chapter 106) was denied because he did not meet the requirements of committing to an additional six years of Selected Reserve service.

The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death is not well-grounded and denied it. Her claim for basic eligibility for dependents' educational assistance benefits was also denied as she did not meet the legal criteria.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to scleroderma, finding no evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cardiovascular disability was incurred during his active duty service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to pancreatic cancer as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, finding no direct causal link between any alleged herbicide exposure and the development of the condition. The eligibility requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance were also not met.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of a skin disorder of the feet, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for undiagnosed illnesses and a right knee disability are denied as not well grounded.

The veteran's Crohn's disease is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the waiver of recovery of loan guaranty indebtedness due to the appellant's fault in creating the debt and lack of undue hardship.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of gunshot wounds to the neck and right leg are well-grounded. However, there is no competent medical evidence linking current back disability to his military service or any incident therein, including a claimed gunshot wound to the back. The claim of service connection for PTSD was granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for retrolisthesis of L5-S1, finding that there was no competent evidence of its presence during service and attributing any symptoms to mechanical low back pain.

The veteran's service-connected postoperative resection, head of both fifth metatarsals, cavus varus deformity is rated at 30 percent, the highest rating available under Diagnostic Code 5278 for acquired bilateral pes cavus with all toes tending to dorsiflexion and marked tenderness under the metatarsal heads.