Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for a skin condition, to include as due to exposure to ionizing radiation. The evidence does not support a finding that his current skin conditions are related to his military service or any incident therein.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection as there is no medical evidence linking his current left foot condition to service, including a reported injury during active duty. The VA examiner opined that the current degenerative joint disease in the left foot is not related to the reported in-service injury.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current brain damage is related to his period of service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to inadequate development of evidence, particularly regarding his respiratory and heart murmur disabilities. The case is being returned for further development.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The VA denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the appellant's right hip disability prior to July 24, 2006.,The VA also denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the same condition from July 24, 2006.

The Board denied service connection for low back and neck disabilities, finding no evidence of such conditions in service or within one year thereafter. The veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his military service.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded due to the need for additional records and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cardiovascular disability and left inguinal hernia were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during service or within one year after separation. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for dental trauma to teeth numbers 7, 8, and 9, hypertension, and Peyronie's disease. The veteran was not shown to have a current disability related to these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of service connection for neurogenic bladder, finding no evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for multiple myeloma, to include as secondary to ionizing radiation exposure in service, requires further development. The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development including obtaining a VA Undersecretary for Benefits opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the veteran's multiple myeloma was caused by ionizing or non-ionizing radiation exposure in service.

The veteran's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for an unmarried veteran without children, thus denying his claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The veteran's right hand disability is rated at 50 percent, and his right leg disability remains at 10 percent. The RO granted the requested increased ratings.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for cause of death, entitlement to increased rating for residuals of shrapnel wound to the left leg, eligibility for non-service-connected death pension benefits, and eligibility for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The veteran's claim for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 of the U.S. Code is denied as his enrollment in an independent study course did not qualify due to the effective date being January 12, 2003.

The Board found that the appellant's receipt of SSA benefits constituted countable income for purposes of improved death pension benefits, and thus denied her claim. The issue of waiver of recovery of an overpayment of improved death pension benefits is still pending.

The case is being remanded for consideration of VAOPGCPREC 12-94 and 6-93, which may allow prospective estimation of the veteran's unreimbursed medical expenses for the year 2001.

The Board found that the appellant's discharge from service was under other than honorable conditions due to a continuous period of AWOL, and denied his appeal as there were no compelling circumstances warranting such prolonged absence.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a VA examiner with appropriate expertise to determine if the veteran's death was related to his service or presumed Agent Orange exposure.