Other conditions Board decisions

The Board denied Vivian's claim for the proceeds of her deceased husband's National Service Life Insurance (NSLI) policy, finding that there was no evidence to support her contention that he intended to change the beneficiary designation from his former wife Mary.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including verifying the veteran's exposure to toxins during his service in the South Pacific and obtaining a medical opinion on the relationship between his in-service lung conditions and his later pulmonary fibrosis.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's service-connected fractures of his right hand and foot, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating based on the current criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a disability of the lymph nodes, other than lymphadenopathy, including as due to exposure to Agent Orange, and for a lung disability and tracheomalacia. The decision found that the veteran was already service-connected for lymphadenopathy at the time of his July 1980 rating decision.

The Board found that the veteran's appeal was not timely filed, and thus denied his claim.

The veteran's service-connected dysthymia is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability and does not warrant an increased rating.

The Board found that the veteran's pre-existing condition of idiopathic anaphylaxis (IA) did not increase in severity during service and thus could not be granted service connection. The VA determined that the veteran's urticaria, which manifested as IA, was also a preexisting condition.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death due to lack of legal entitlement under applicable laws and regulations. The burial expenses paid by the appellant were not deductible from her income as they were paid after the veteran's death but before she received pension benefits.

The Board has determined that there is sufficient evidence to link the veteran's current low back disorder to his military service, making the claim well grounded. The case is remanded for further development and examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant is not entitled to service connection for missing teeth numbered 3, 4, 5 and 30 due to lack of evidence showing a compensable disability. However, he is granted service connection for carious teeth numbered 7, 12, 29 and 31 as they were noted to be carious upon entry into active duty. The Board also found that the appellant's tooth number 2 was lost due to an in-service trauma to the mandible.

The VA granted service connection for residuals of mandibular osteotomy and genioplasty with a non-compensable evaluation, effective from August 27, 1983. The veteran's claim was remanded multiple times due to the need for additional development. The RO later increased the disability rating to 10 percent effective March 16, 1995.

The veteran's claim for compensation for tardive dyskinesia, a condition resulting from VA medical treatment (medication), is granted.

The Board denied service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the neck, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service or exposure to toxic herbicides.

The veteran's residuals of carcinoma of the larynx are rated at a 10 percent rating, effective from October 7, 1996.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right hip disorder due to lack of evidence linking current symptoms to his active military service. The claim for an increased evaluation for cancer of the larynx is pending and requires further development.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for atrial fibrillation, finding that his condition was well-controlled with medication and did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for Alzheimer's Disease, finding that the blow to the head in service did not cause an acceleration of the disease due to its severity and lack of loss of consciousness.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no medical evidence linking his death to any service-connected condition.

The veteran's service-connected urethritis and trigonitis are rated at 40 percent, effective December 10, 1998. The RO has been instructed to schedule the veteran for a VA examination to determine if his condition warrants an increase in rating.

The VA has assigned a 30 percent rating for the veteran's nerve damage to his right arm, effective from May 1995.