The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip and right leg disability, as well as his request for an increased rating for his left leg scar. The claim to reopen his previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left foot, ankle, knee, hip, and back was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the veteran's current right hip and right leg disability were related to his service-connected left leg scar or any other service-connected condition. The VA examination report indicated no functional impairment from the left leg scar. For the previously denied claim, the evidence submitted was found to be new but not material as it did not provide substantial evidence that would change the outcome of the previous denial.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hip and Right Leg Disability, Degenerative Joint Disease of Left Foot, Ankle, Knee, Hip, and Back
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2002
- Citation
- 0218279
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 0218279.
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.
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The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
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