Other conditions decisions — 2006

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral femoral retroversion with genu valgum, thus denying the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral foot disabilities were not caused or aggravated by his active military service from July 1960 to August 1964, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's current memory loss is not related to his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's request for waiver of overpayment of nonservice-connected disability pension benefits, finding no indication of fraud, misrepresentation, or bad faith on his part and concluding that recovery would not be against equity and good conscience.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a request for a videoconference hearing.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 40 percent for atypical Raynaud's disease was denied. The RO granted service connection and a noncompensable evaluation, effective February 25, 1999.

The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a conclusion that the veteran had an acute myocardial infarction during active duty for training or inactive duty training, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further evidentiary development, including obtaining buddy statements or other alternative evidence to corroborate the veteran's claims of malaria and neck injury during service. The issues include service connection for residuals of a neck injury, malaria with secondary gallbladder condition, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for impingement syndrome left shoulder (minor), and entitlement to individual unemployability due to service-connected disability.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings for recurrent urethritis have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Board has determined that the veteran's nicotine dependence, which existed prior to service but may have increased in severity during service, is proximately due to tobacco use resulting from nicotine dependence incurred in or aggravated by active service. Therefore, the lung disability is granted as secondary to service-connected nicotine dependence.

The veteran's service-connected Chandler's syndrome of the left eye is rated at 30 percent, effective May 8, 1995. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected mood disorder, including dysthymia; residuals of keloid, right jaw; and residuals of keloid, left jaw.

The veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right elbow fracture is being remanded due to the need for scheduling a travel board hearing.

The Board found that the veteran's left great toe disability was not caused by VA treatment, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The VA surgery and medical treatment in January 1999 did not cause the current decreased visual acuity and loss of peripheral vision in the left eye, which is due to optic atrophy.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Knox Community Hospital from March 1, 1998 to March 4, 1998 is denied.

The competent and probative medical evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's gastritis and residuals of colon polyps are due to any incident or event in military service, including as proximately due to or the result of his service-connected post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 40 percent for her residuals of a third sacral vertebra fracture and TDIU, finding that her disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA regulations.

The veteran's claim for service connection for intestinal syndrome, including as a result of exposure to Agent Orange, is being remanded for additional development and consideration.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected thoracic strain is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination.