Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has determined that the appellant is eligible to be recognized as the surviving spouse of the veteran for purposes of VA death benefits, given her continuous cohabitation with him prior to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a left heel disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine if the veteran meets eligibility requirements for educational assistance under Chapter 30, Title 38 United States Code. The case is remanded to the RO for this purpose.

The Board found no evidence to support a current irritable colon condition related to military service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran's waiver request, finding that recovery of the overpayment would be against equity and good conscience due to the veteran's age, health conditions, and financial situation.

The veteran died in February 1982 and the appellant was born in July 1983. The VA denied basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance because the appellant is not considered a child of the veteran.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left inguinal hernia residuals are a result of service, specifically due to an in-service treatment for a hernia. The Board found that the veteran developed a hernia during service and that it was aggravated by his military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current jaw disability related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran is not eligible for enrollment in, and access to, VA medical care benefits due to the absence of any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a nervous disorder due to insufficient evidence and incomplete medical records.

The veteran is granted service connection for bilateral frozen feet and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, effective from January 10, 2003.

The veteran's service-connected residuals of shell fragment wound to the left thigh and atrophic right testicle do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, thus his claims are denied.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board determined that the appellant is not recognized as the veteran's surviving spouse for VA purposes due to their divorce and lack of continuous cohabitation.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for duodenal ulcer with postoperative residuals is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and review of medical records.

The Board found that the reduction in additional benefits for a dependent spouse, effective from June 1, 1996 to May 1, 2002, was legally appropriate based on the veteran's divorce and subsequent marriage.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected rheumatic fever residuals did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and thus denied his claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for cancer of the common bile duct, stomach, pancreas, gallbladder, and duodenum is denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The veteran's post-surgery sensory and motor function deficits are not considered to be the result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault by VA during the November 2000 abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notification and development of evidence, including obtaining a medical statement from the veteran's physician supporting the claim for service connection for the cause of death.