Other conditions Board decisions

The veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings on the issues of left leg shrapnel wound, right leg shrapnel wound with retained metallic foreign body, and missile wound of the left hand before the Board could make a decision.

The veteran's claim for non-service connected pension benefits prior to September 17, 2001 was denied due to his failure to report for a VA examination. After September 17, 2001, the law changed and granted the veteran permanent and total disability based on Social Security Administration (SSA) disability determination.

The veteran is seeking an increased evaluation for his left knee disorder, which was previously denied. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional development and notification.

The Board has determined that the appellant is not eligible for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to his lack of active duty service and because he was not on active duty, active duty for training or inactive duty for training at the time of his head injury.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left hand disability originated during his active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee disability warrants an increased rating to 20 percent, but no higher.

The Board has determined that the veteran's PTSD warrants a 70 percent disability rating, effective from August 3, 1999.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for viral syndrome, to include as due to undiagnosed illness, finding that there is no current chronic disability and that the evidence does not support a finding of an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for accrued benefits, finding that she is only entitled to unpaid monetary benefit due her husband for a period not exceeding two years.

The Board found that the appellant is the surviving spouse of the veteran for VA purposes, and granted her claim.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for service connection for missing teeth, finding no probative evidence demonstrating that the loss was due to dental trauma during active service.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for waiver of recovery of an overpayment of death pension benefits in the amount of $4,032 because it was not timely filed.

The veteran's income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate for a single veteran with no dependents, resulting in his application for improved nonservice-connected disability pension being denied.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for stress fractures of the legs, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for mycosis fungoides (MF) based on his honorable military service from June 1974 to December 1980, finding no evidence of its presence during or within one year after this period. The second claim was not addressed as it pertained to a dishonorable discharge.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for her service-connected left femoral neck fracture, finding that the disability is no more than slight in degree.

The Board found that the veteran's paroxysmal ventricular tachycardia did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, as it was not shown to be manifested by more than four episodes per year of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation or other supraventricular tachycardia documented by ECG or Holter monitor. The veteran's current 10 percent disability rating for his service-connected heart condition remains unchanged.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, a cerebrovascular accident, was not caused or contributed to by any service-connected disability. The appellant claimed this condition was due to radiation exposure during service, but there is no evidence of such exposure.

The Board denied a claim for an increased rating of 10 percent for bilateral blepharitis, finding that the current evaluation is appropriate given the veteran's symptoms and medical findings.