Other conditions Board decisions

The Board found that the apportionment of the veteran's compensation benefits on behalf of his former wife and stepchild was properly awarded, considering financial hardship and reasonable amount under VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for obsessive compulsive neurosis and depressive personality disorder is not well-grounded, as there was no medical evidence showing a nexus between his current psychiatric disabilities and service. The veteran's claim for non-service-connected pension purposes remains pending.

The veteran's appeal for educational assistance benefits under Chapter 1606, Title 10, United States Code (formerly Chapter 106) was denied because he did not meet the requirements of committing to an additional six years of Selected Reserve service.

The Board found that the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death is not well-grounded and denied it. Her claim for basic eligibility for dependents' educational assistance benefits was also denied as she did not meet the legal criteria.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to scleroderma, finding no evidence linking it to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cardiovascular disability was incurred during his active duty service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death due to pancreatic cancer as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, finding no direct causal link between any alleged herbicide exposure and the development of the condition. The eligibility requirements for Dependents' Educational Assistance were also not met.

The Board found that there is no competent medical evidence of a current diagnosis of a skin disorder of the feet, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for undiagnosed illnesses and a right knee disability are denied as not well grounded.

The veteran's Crohn's disease is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the waiver of recovery of loan guaranty indebtedness due to the appellant's fault in creating the debt and lack of undue hardship.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of gunshot wounds to the neck and right leg are well-grounded. However, there is no competent medical evidence linking current back disability to his military service or any incident therein, including a claimed gunshot wound to the back. The claim of service connection for PTSD was granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for retrolisthesis of L5-S1, finding that there was no competent evidence of its presence during service and attributing any symptoms to mechanical low back pain.

The veteran's service-connected postoperative resection, head of both fifth metatarsals, cavus varus deformity is rated at 30 percent, the highest rating available under Diagnostic Code 5278 for acquired bilateral pes cavus with all toes tending to dorsiflexion and marked tenderness under the metatarsal heads.

The VA has determined that the veteran's residuals of a crush injury with fracture of the tips of the left index and middle fingers are not more than 40% disabling.

The Board denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the thoracic spine, finding that a 10 percent evaluation was appropriate given the clinical evidence.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected left knee disability and right knee instability, but denied an increase in rating for his degenerative joint disease of the right knee.

The veteran's congenital spina bifida and nondisplaced spondylolisthesis at L5-S1 were aggravated during service, and the Board granted service connection for this aggravation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for terminal ileitis due to new evidence submitted since the last denial. The Board found that his stomach problems during service were aggravated by the stress and dietary conditions of military life, leading to a worsening of his pre-existing condition.