Other conditions decisions — 2001

The veteran's hyperlipidemia was noted during service and continues to persist. However, the VA examiner found no current disability for VA purposes resulting from this condition.

The Board finds that a compensable evaluation for Hodgkin's disease is not warranted under the rating criteria in effect prior to October 23, 1995. The veteran’s appetite has been consistently reported as good and his weight as stable. There have been no recent complaints of fever, chills, night sweats, or pruritus.

The Board denied the appellant's motion for reconsideration, finding that he failed to clearly and specifically set forth any alleged errors of fact or law in the January 1998 decision.

The Board found that the evidence submitted since September 1994 is not new and material, thus denying the reopening of the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding no evidence that his military service caused or contributed to his death.

The veteran has residuals of an injury to his left middle finger sustained during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's skin disorder is not service connected, but acknowledges his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The claim will be remanded for further development and examination.

The Committee denied the appellant's waiver of overpayment of improved disability pension benefits due to fault, but the Board finds that further development is needed as the appellant may have been confused about his obligation to submit a Financial Status Report.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence submitted since the October 1995 RO decision. The issue is whether this new evidence supports a finding of service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for recurrent pleurisy, residuals of spontaneous pneumothorax is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evaluation and testing.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for loss of teeth 17 through 20, 26 through 29, 31, and 32 is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a schedular rating in excess of zero percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected status post excision of cysts of the great toes does not warrant a higher evaluation, as all other symptoms are attributed to unrelated conditions.

The Board found clear and unmistakable error in denying service connection for sensorineural defective hearing, which was granted.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge from service in June 1986 was based on willful and persistent misconduct involving a period of absence without leave (AWOL) and refusal to obey lawful orders, resulting in an other than honorable (OTHC) discharge. This OTHC discharge is considered dishonorable for VA purposes.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating, finding that his current disability level did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and notifying the appellant of the need to provide certain documents.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hip fractures and service connection for numbness of both legs, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not related to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was denied.

The Board granted a 60 percent disability evaluation for systemic lupus erythematosus from August 30, 1996, based on exacerbations occurring once or twice a year lasting a week or more.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The case will be readjudicated after the additional development.