Other conditions Board decisions

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records, including treatment records from VA facilities and personnel records from the Army Reserves. The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his chronic duodenal ulcer is pending.

The Board found that the overpayment of improved pension benefits in the amount of $8,161 was properly created and not due to sole VA error. The veteran's failure to submit income information as requested resulted in the creation of the debt.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for accrued benefits and monetary benefits based on equitable relief are denied as there is no legal authority to grant such benefits.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation for his skin rash, finding that it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The VA has granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's incisional hernia, effective from June 1998. The Board is readjudicating this claim to determine if an increased rating is warranted based on the current evidence.

The Board found that one-half of the overpayment should be waived due to fault on the part of the appellant and unjust enrichment, while the remaining half should not be recovered to avoid financial hardship.

The VA determined that the veteran's ulcerative colitis with cholestatic liver disease does not warrant a rating higher than 60 percent.

The veteran is seeking service connection for a left shin disability, but the RO has denied this claim. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct an orthopedic examination.

The Board found that the veteran's right nephrectomy was not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's gastrointestinal condition had its onset during service and granted his claim of service connection.

The Board found that the appellant's character of discharge from service was a bar to VA benefits due to his under conditions other than honorable status, and there is no evidence suggesting he was incompetent at the time.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for retinal lattice degeneration, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between the injury in service and current lattice degeneration.

The Board found that the veteran's skin condition is not related to his time in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied reopening the claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right hip disability, finding that current findings do not warrant a higher rating than the currently assigned 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a right foot injury and skin disorder of the right foot, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the back, finding that it did not manifest during military service or to a compensable degree within a year thereafter and is not due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for educational assistance benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill is denied because he did not meet the service requirements and was discharged due to misconduct.

The veteran's service-connected Guillain-Barre syndrome is considered to have contributed significantly in causing his death due to Alzheimer's dementia. The Board finds that the service-connected disability aided or lent assistance to the production of death, warranting service connection for the cause of death.

The appeal is being remanded due to the appellant's relocation and a videoconference hearing must be scheduled.