Other conditions Board decisions

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current respiratory disorder, claimed as pneumonia, to an incident of service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's request for a waiver of recovery of an overpayment in the amount of $2,704 due to fault on his part and lack of undue financial hardship.

The Board found that the claim was not well-grounded because there was no evidence of a current disability and no link between the veteran's asbestos exposure during service and his claimed lung disorder.

The Board has determined that there are currently no residuals of rheumatic fever, including a heart disorder, demonstrated by the medical evidence of record. As such, the veteran's claim for an increased (compensable) rating for the service-connected residuals of rheumatic fever is denied.

PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to December 8, 1998.,Effective December 8, 1998, the rating for PTSD increased to 50 percent.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a head injury, including organic brain syndrome and back injuries due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure. The claim for back injury was also denied as not well grounded.

The Board found that the claim for disability benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was not well-grounded, as there is no competent medical evidence to support a finding that the left lower extremity amputations in 1986 were actually the result of disease or injury related to VA care.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence, but finds that the claim is not well-grounded as there is no competent medical evidence linking a current right hand disability to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for morphea, which he claimed as soft tissue sarcoma due to Agent Orange exposure. The appeal is based on a presumption of service connection.

The Board determined that the correct action was taken in terminating the appellant's DIC benefits and that there was no clear and unmistakable error made in determining the effective date for the termination of the appellant's DIC benefits.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to January 24, 1992 for DIC benefits is not warranted as the appellant's request to reopen her previously denied claim was received on January 24, 1992.

The veteran's peripheral neuritis was granted an initial compensable rating of 10 percent effective April 28, 1992. The effective date for service connection of the disability is set at that time.

The Board found that the veteran did not serve in a period of war and therefore is not eligible for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's request for waiver of recovery of an overpayment of improved disability pension benefits due to a willful misrepresentation of income, resulting in the creation of the overpayment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of a sense of smell and an increased evaluation for his left elbow disability. The decision stated that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service, and thus the claims were not well-grounded.

The veteran withdrew his appeal on the issues of whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim for a gastrointestinal disorder, and entitlement to an increased evaluation for urticaria with angioedema.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Wuesthoff Memorial Hospital from April 13, through April 18, 1997 is denied because the evidence does not meet the criteria for such reimbursement.

The veteran's son has been diagnosed with spina bifida occulta, but the claim is denied as there is no evidence of a compensable condition for which benefits can be awarded under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1805.

The Board has determined that the veteran's travel to his training facility constitutes intraregional travel and thus, travel pay may be authorized for initial travel to report to the chosen school for the purpose of starting training, return from school to home where services are not available for a period of 30 days (including summer vacation periods), and return to the training facility from home when payment was made for returning home.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for colon cancer due to herbicide exposure and for cause of death. The appellant was not provided with a copy of the autopsy report, which is necessary to determine the cause of death.