Other conditions decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's current wife, [redacted], can be recognized as his dependent spouse for pension benefits purposes. The decision is based on the presumption of validity of a second marriage due to evidence showing no divorce from the first marriage.

The Board found that the veteran failed to timely request waiver of overpayments due to underreporting of family income, and thus denied the waiver requests.

The veteran's appeal for special monthly pension on the basis of need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound has been dismissed due to his death.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his varicose veins of the left leg was granted, with a rating of 40 percent effective July 8, 1996.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected prostatitis, effective May 15, 1997.

The Board determined that the veteran's current gastrointestinal disability, manifested by a motility disorder, is causally related to his service and granted service connection for this condition.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of a left eye disorder.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for post traumatic stress disorder, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD resulting from an in-service stressor.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, claimed as secondary to service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with depression, remains denied.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to insufficient evidence and further development being required.

The veteran is seeking compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability of his lumbar spine, which he claims resulted from a VA surgery in February 1995. The case has been remanded to review medical records and possibly conduct further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of sense of smell and an initial noncompensable evaluation for unilateral taste disturbance, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The VA determined that there is no evidence of a bilateral hip disorder or a bilateral elbow disorder in service, and the competent medical evidence does not support current diagnoses.

The VA denied an increased initial evaluation for right carpel tunnel syndrome with tendonitis, currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. After the hearing, the claim will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Board has remanded the appellant's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and seeking an opinion from a VA physician regarding the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the appellant's right knee disability, characterized by postoperative chondromalacia and degenerative joint disease, warrants a 30 percent evaluation based on limitation of motion.

The Board granted service connection for neuritis, finding that the veteran's condition began during service. The claim for an increased rating for residuals of a GSW to the left temporal area was not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for loss of visual acuity as secondary to his service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease, finding no medical evidence linking the eye disorder to service or to his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained a head injury during service and that this injury left chronic residuals. The Board granted service connection for residuals of a concussion.