The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral foot and ankle disorders, bilateral leg disorder (residuals of injury to the right leg), neck disorder, and low back disorder, were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The examiner determined that these conditions pre-existed service.
The deciding factor: The Board concluded that the veteran's claimed disabilities did not have their onset during his military service and were not related to any injury or disease he experienced while on active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral foot disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral leg disorder (residuals of injury to the right leg), neck disorder, low back disorder (pre-existed service)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2002
- Citation
- 0203719
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0203719.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings, as well as higher levels of special monthly compensation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinea pedis of the left foot and remanded claims for a bilateral foot disorder, cervical disorder, left shoulder disorder, lumbosacral disorder, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and eardrum disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a neck disorder, hair loss, PTSD, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral arm numbness, and restless body syndrome due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, low back, neck disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the claimed conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
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