Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral cataracts, finding that the veteran's pre-existing condition was not aggravated by service and thus meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic cystitis is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for low blood pressure and dizziness, finding no evidence of hypotension or related conditions during his military service.

The veteran's claim for vocational rehabilitation benefits was denied because he did not have a service-connected disability rated at 20 percent or more. The RO granted an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected disability, but never readjudicated the issue and provided the veteran with a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board found that the veteran's skin disorder, claimed as residuals of jungle rot, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The RO denied service connection for sinusitis and an upper respiratory infection, but did not provide timely notice of denial to the veteran. Evidence submitted since these decisions is not new and material, thus denying reopening of claims for sinusitis and encephalitis. The appendectomy scar does not meet schedular criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for generalized arthritis of multiple joints and for increased evaluations for his service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound (GSW) of the abdomen with incisional hernia and herniated nucleus pulposus with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine. The veteran was granted an initial 60 percent evaluation for the latter condition effective January 27, 1999.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was incurred in service and granted service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a nervous disability, stomach disability, and spinal disability. The claim for spinal disability was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the claim for a torn muscle in the left rib cage but denied service connection and all other issues due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural defects in the notice provided and additional evidence submitted. The issues of service connection for a bilateral shin condition and adjustment disorder with depressed mood are on appeal.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a VA eye examination scheduled on June 24, 2003. The case will be returned to the RO for further development and consideration.

The Board dismissed the appeal as the veteran withdrew his appeal on the issue of whether he submitted a timely substantive appeal for overpayment of pension benefits.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for recognition as the veteran's surviving spouse for death pension benefits due to her remarriage in January 2000, making her ineligible under VA regulations.

The Board finds that the appellant and the veteran had a valid common law marriage, which is sufficient to recognize her as the surviving spouse for VA benefits purposes.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current nail fungus to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the termination of improved pension benefits on the 61st day of the veteran's incarceration was proper, as mandated by VA regulations.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a chronic acquired disorder for VA compensation purposes manifested by status post indentation of the skull incurred during active service.

The veteran seeks service connection for a chronic acquired skin disorder, which he claims is related to his exposure to chemical agents during his second period of active duty. The VA has ordered additional development including obtaining medical records and arranging for a special dermatological examination.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected postoperative fractures of the right great toe and cyst in the right ear lobe, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining terminal hospitalization records and a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected disabilities caused or hastened it.