Other conditions Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeal because the appellant died before a decision could be made.

The veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to VA medical treatment in 1994 and 1995 for a cervical spine disorder is being remanded for additional development of the claims file.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at non-VA hospitals from August 10, 2004 until August 13, 2004 is denied as he does not meet the eligibility criteria under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have peripheral vascular disorder in his left lower extremity, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a non-VA facility due to an acute left flank pain condition was denied as she did not meet the eligibility criteria under VA regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a lung disorder, an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for anxiety disorder, and a TDIU rating. The VA found no competent evidence linking the veteran's current lung condition to his military service.

The veteran's Crohn's disease is rated at 30 percent, and his arthralgia/arthritis from April 7, 2005 to January 2, 2006 warrants a 40 percent rating. For the period beginning January 3, 2006, he receives separate ratings for various joints.

The Board has granted a waiver of overpayment for $1,142.78 due to mitigating circumstances related to the veteran's service-connected back and stomach disabilities. The overpayment of $320.73 was denied as it resulted from the veteran's failure to inform VA about his withdrawal from a course.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to metastatic liver cancer, finding no evidence linking it to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and development of evidence to determine if the veteran's current neurological deficits are related to his spinal cord injury incurred in 1994.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations for patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right and left knees, as there is no evidence of ankylosis or significant instability. The initial ratings have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if the veteran's stomach disorder is related to his service-connected disabilities or caused by any other condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran abandoned a January 2001 claim and that correspondence received in August 2002 is the date of a 'new' claim. He is entitled to an effective date as of the date of the liberalizing law, but no earlier.

The veteran's claim for educational assistance under Chapter 30, Title 38, United States Code is denied because she did not serve at least three years of continuous active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability and denied his claim for service connection for disabilities of both hips, both legs, the cervical spine, and the trapezius muscles.

The Board denied the appellant's application to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and addressing a claim of clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left hand disability and ulnar nerve paresthesia, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right hand and fingers, as well as his claim for an initial compensable rating for mitral valve prolapse. The evidence does not support a finding of current disability in either condition.

The VA determined that the veteran forfeited all rights, claims and benefits under laws administered by VA due to his submission of a fraudulent birth certificate in support of claiming M. E. L. as his dependent child.