Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board denied the appellant's claims for death pension benefits due to her excessive income and lack of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate notice under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA). The veteran's claim of service connection for a skin disorder, arthritis, and nerve damage of the feet and legs secondary to herbicide exposure remains pending.

The Board found that arthritis of the left hand was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and is not linked to any incident of service. The Board also determined that it is less likely than not that the veteran's arthritis of the left hand was caused or aggravated by his service-connected gouty arthritis of the right foot.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed because he has died and the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate his claims.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for callosities of the left foot and right foot, finding that the veteran's painful callus formations meet the criteria under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for poliomyelitis as it is no longer an issue due to a previous grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right hip stress reaction warrants a 10 percent rating, considering his complaints of pain and limited motion in at least two joints without compensable level of limitation.

The veteran seeks an increased rating for his service-connected long thoracic nerve neuralgia. The most recent thorough examination regarding this condition was performed in 2002, and the appeal is being remanded to conduct a new VA examination.

The Board found that the cause of death was not incurred in or related to service, including a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims, including obtaining new and material evidence for his service connection claims.

The appellant does not have verified active military service with the U.S. Armed Forces and is therefore ineligible for VA benefits.

The Board denied service connection for cardiovascular and respiratory disabilities due to herbicide exposure, as well as reopening of the claim for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's TDIU claim is referred to the RO.

The Board has determined that the veteran is competent to handle the disbursement of funds for VA benefits purposes.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for basic eligibility for VA benefits due to a lack of verified service in the United States Armed Forces.

The case is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for liver disease, peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, duodenitis, esophagitis, gallstones, and a spastic colon. New evidence received since the May 1996 decision includes information about exposure to radioactive contaminated areas at Fort McClellan and medical records indicating these conditions may be related to service. The Board found new material evidence sufficient to reopen claims for peptic ulcer disease, gastritis, duodenitis, and dysthymia.

The veteran's claim for educational assistance under Chapter 30, Title 38 was denied because he did not meet the eligibility requirements due to his discharge being in lieu of a court-martial and upgraded to honorable status. The Board found that he did not qualify for Chapter 30 benefits as he did not receive a medical or service-connected disability discharge.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions and verification of service dates.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for status post excision of chalazions of both upper eyelids, finding that there is no evidence linking his current visual refractive error to the surgeries performed during service.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability prior to July 16, 2001 was denied as he did not meet the basic criteria for consideration under the schedular evaluation.