Other conditions decisions — 2018

The Board denied the application to reopen the claim of recognition as the helpless child due to lack of new and material evidence, as the submitted records were previously considered in the previous denial.

The appeal has been dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the claim, and thus the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's left-hand disability may be related to his service, but more evidence is needed to determine if it was caused by military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for a new VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for left 6th nerve palsy, claimed as blindness, is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension benefits were discontinued due to his incarceration following a felony conviction. The overpayment was created and the debt is valid, but the application for waiver of indebtedness was not received within the required 180-day period.

The Veteran's service connection claim for leukemia due to herbicide exposure is granted, with the Board finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether his leukemia was caused by his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's Crohn’s disease is rated at a 100 percent disabling effective April 19, 2005. The appeal for entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot because the Veteran remains fully employed.

The Veteran's service under the Loan Repayment Program is not considered creditable active duty for purposes of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. The Veteran was granted eligibility at a 100% rate based on his total service, but this was later corrected to an 80% rate due to the LRP obligation. The appeal is denied as there is no legal basis for granting higher benefits.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical services received from Miller County Hospital in Georgia is being remanded due to an incorrect basis and incomplete development. The VAMC must conduct further development including obtaining information from the Veteran and Miller County Hospital regarding their claims process.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disabilities due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The appellant withdrew the appeal of whether VA improperly calculated attorney fees based on a March 25, 2016, rating decision.

The claim for accrued benefits was not received within one year of the Veteran's death, and therefore is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma is related to his military service, specifically Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hammertoes, finding that the Veteran's current disability likely manifested during service and is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms, including hallucinations, impaired memory, nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, anger, sadness, fear, and mood disturbances, led to a disability rating of 100% prior to November 28, 2012.

The Veteran's death certificate indicates he was divorced at the time of his death, and the appellant is not considered a surviving spouse for VA benefits due to her divorce from the Veteran.

The Board denied reopening the claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits as there was no new evidence received since a final decision in July 2015, and the Appellant did not have sufficient active service to qualify for pension benefits.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of cold weather injury to his left and right feet, finding that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board found that the Veteran was overpaid due to his reported investment income and denied a waiver of this debt, finding fault on the part of the Veteran.