Other conditions decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a cerebral aneurysm and denied his increased rating claim for cephalgia. The veteran's service-connected cephalgia is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the evidence presented since the previous decisions does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for a nasal/sinus disorder. The veteran's claim was denied as new and material evidence has not been presented.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities related to his service, and thus cannot establish service connection for residuals of a right thigh injury or left arm injury.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for endometriosis prior to October 7, 2004 was denied. The issue regarding a rating in excess of 30 percent for the period beginning October 7, 2004 is pending and will be addressed separately.

The Board denied a higher initial evaluation for service-connected status post right inguinal hernia repair, finding that the evidence did not support the assignment of a higher rating due to lack of a well-supported or readily reducible hernia.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to service, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran claims his right eye vision loss is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The case is being remanded for a VA examination and opinion on the nature and severity of any diagnosed right eye or vision disorder, as well as its relationship to service.

The Board denied service connection for shin splints and injury to legs, finding no current diagnoses of these conditions. The veteran's dental condition was also not found to be service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for multiple myeloma, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and noting that his condition did not begin in service.

The veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The appellant did not meet the criteria for VA death pension benefits, and her application for accrued benefits was submitted outside the one-year filing period.

The Board found that the veteran's service records did not corroborate her alleged inservice stressors and denied her claim for service connection for PTSD.

The veteran's application for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 1606, Title 10, United States Code was denied because the Department of Defense (DOD) did not certify him as eligible for these benefits. The veteran served in the Selected Reserve but his eligibility ended on June 5, 1997.

The veteran is seeking an increased disability rating for his bilateral inguinal hernias, currently rated at 10 percent. The case has been remanded due to conflicting medical findings regarding the right inguinal area.

The Board denied service connection for welding poisoning and a prostate condition, finding no evidence of in-service occurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The veteran's need for a higher level of care, requiring personal health care services provided on a daily basis in his home by a licensed professional or under the regular supervision of a licensed health care professional, has been established. The veteran is entitled to SMC at the (r)(2) level.

The veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for service connection and a total disability rating for schizoaffective disorder, with the claim being based on whether there was clear and unmistakable error in a prior December 1971 rating decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking his cardiovascular and respiratory conditions to his military service. The appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected death pension benefits as her husband served in a recognized guerrilla force. There was no indication that accrued benefits were due at the time of the veteran's death.

The Board found that the appellant did not have valid military service and therefore is not eligible for VA disability benefits.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx, was not related to his service and did not find any evidence that it was caused or contributed substantially to his death. The preponderance of the evidence is against the appellant's claim.

The veteran's application for basic eligibility to receive educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30 was denied as he did not meet the criteria of receiving less than $2,000 in tuition costs for each year of his participation in the ROTC scholarship program.