Other conditions decisions — 2002

The Board found that Alzheimer's disease and volvulus, which were not service-connected, did not contribute to the veteran's death. The appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death was denied.

The case is remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing and further development of the claim.

The Board has granted the veteran's request to waive recovery of an overpayment of $5,000.00 in his nonservice-connected disability pension benefits due to financial hardship.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected dysthymia did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, as it did not produce more than mild social and industrial impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability and an earlier effective date for compensation benefits. The decision concluded that there was no legal entitlement to payment of additional compensation for a dependent child earlier than November 1, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of rheumatic fever, finding that there was no evidence to support a diagnosis of rheumatic fever during military service and concluding that any current cardiovascular disease is not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for narcolepsy, including cataplexy, finding that the condition existed during and likely began in service.

The Board found no evidence of current prostatitis and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's service connection claims for generalized arthritis and a circulatory disorder were denied as there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the appellant cannot be recognized as the surviving spouse of the veteran for VA benefits purposes, and thus the appellee (the veteran's legal widow) is considered the surviving spouse.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an apportionment of the veteran's VA disability compensation benefits on behalf of their minor children, finding that the veteran was providing support and the appellant did not demonstrate financial hardship.

The Board has granted service connection for carcinoma of the prostate due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam and assigned a 20 percent evaluation effective from September 1998.

The Board has determined that the veteran's postoperative residuals of a pilonidal cyst warrant a 10 percent evaluation, and his traumatic arthritis of the coccygeal bone warrants a 10 percent evaluation. The RO increased these evaluations in October 1999.

The Board finds that the veteran's pilonidal cyst does not meet or exceed the criteria for a higher evaluation, and thus denies his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's bone degeneration of the jaw is not related to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). The evidence did not support a connection between the PTB treatment and the current condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD in a September 1999 decision. The case is now before the Board again due to new evidence and additional development required by the VCAA.

The Board found that the veteran did not have wartime service in the U.S. Armed Forces, and thus his survivors do not qualify for VA death pension benefits. The cause of the veteran's death (Koch's pneumonia) was not present during his peacetime service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication, including determining whether M. is the veteran's legal widow and if so, whether she continuously cohabited with him up to his death.

The Board has determined that the appellant did not have recognized active service and therefore does not qualify as a veteran for purposes of receiving VA benefits.

The Board found that the overpayment of $8,733 for the period from May 1, 1993 to October 31, 1996 was properly created due to the veteran's failure to provide timely information about his spouse's and children's SSA benefits.