Other conditions Board decisions

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's daughter, [redacted], is entitled to the proceeds of her father's NSLI policy as he designated her as the sole principal beneficiary in his last change of beneficiary form signed on February 17, 1996.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for service connection for the cause of his death, DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318(b).

The veteran's apportionment of his disability compensation benefits was increased from $255 to $400 per month for himself and his minor children, B. and H., effective April 1, 1998, and October 31, 1998 respectively.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left foot is denied as there is no evidence that his condition warrants a higher rating.

The appellant is eligible for an apportionment of the veteran's VA compensation benefits on behalf of his minor children for the time period of July 1996 to July 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for malaria and POW status, as well as his eligibility for nonservice-connected disability pension benefits. The decision found that there was no reasonable basis to question the service department findings regarding the veteran's military service, and that there is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition related to malaria or POW status.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for basic eligibility for VA benefits due to lack of new and material evidence, as all submitted documents were irrelevant or tangential to the appellant's service status.

The VA determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for stress reaction of both feet, claimed as stress fractures of both legs, is not well-grounded and denied it.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected gunshot wound residuals to the right posterior thigh and left lower abdomen do not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a dental disorder, including on the basis of dental trauma, and eligibility for outpatient dental treatment. The decision found that there was no evidence or opinion linking any current dental disorder to service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for depressed arches, but finds that it is not well grounded due to lack of current medical evidence.

The veteran's claim for an employment adjustment allowance and her declared rehabilitated status were granted. The veteran was deemed rehabilitated to the point of employability, and she pursued additional education in lieu of obtaining employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to unresolved questions regarding the veteran's exposure to mustard gas during service.

The unreimbursed medical expenses paid by the veteran during 1996 and 1997 cannot be considered in calculating his countable income for purposes of determining the amount of his improved disability pension benefits.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical development regarding visual impairment and disfigurement related to the service-connected ptosis of the left eye.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of a head injury, including a brain tumor.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding a motor vehicle accident during service that allegedly caused temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis of the left lower extremity, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to her period of active service. The reduction in rating for her knee disability from 10% to noncompensable level was also denied.

The veteran's death certificate confirmed that he died of lung and brain cancer, which established his eligibility for accrued benefits based on the evidence in the file at the time of his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of dental trauma and skin disorder. The skin disorder claim was found to be not well grounded.