Other conditions decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claim for a NSC pension was denied because he did not meet the income and net worth thresholds required for the benefit, despite meeting the service requirements.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for recurrent vocal cord papilloma, finding that there is no evidence linking his current condition to his active duty service.

The Veteran's ulcerative colitis is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board has granted secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate, and thus she is not legally entitled to these benefits.

The Veteran meets the basic eligibility criteria for a pension beginning from December 2010, but his income is offset by Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits. The appeal is granted to this extent.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hand tendonitis is not related to any of his periods of service, including an incident when he was struck by a truck in November 2006. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hand tendonitis was denied.

The Veteran's daughter, the appellant, seeks reimbursement for expenses paid by her relating to the Veteran's last sickness and burial. The Board finds that only so much of the accrued benefit may be paid as may be necessary to reimburse the person who bore the expense of the last sickness or burial. As a result, the claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right thumb condition requires additional development and remands to the AOJ.

The appeal is being remanded due to the appellant's request for a videoconference Board hearing. The case will be returned to the AOJ after the hearing.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the Veteran's surviving spouse for VA death benefits purposes, finding that she did not meet the legal requirements to be considered a proper claimant.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video conference hearing. The overpayment of non-service-connected pension benefits will be addressed in this hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the severity of his left finger disability. The TDIU portion of his claim will also be developed.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA examination. The Veteran's skin disorder may be related to service exposure.

The Veteran's service records show fractures to teeth 9, 10 and 11. However, there is no compensable dental disability as defined by VA law due to the lack of a loss of substance of the body maxilla or mandible resulting in a loss of teeth.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to missing medical and procedural documentation. The case will be returned to the Board for further action.

The Board found that the overpayment debt in the amount of $4,603.56 was validly created due to the Veteran's constructive knowledge and acceptance of additional benefits for which he was not entitled after his wife's death.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations and obtaining relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the lack of a document indicating his need for aid and attendance prior to June 5, 2015. Additional treatment records should be sought.

The Veteran's right eye disability was not caused by VA medical care, and the additional disability is not compensable under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's nonischemic cardiomyopathy and anemia are not service-connected as they were either not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, did not manifest during active service or within one year of service separation, and are not otherwise related to any incident of service.