The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a dental injury and an increased evaluation for peptic ulcer disease. The evidence did not support the claim of service connection for the dental injury, as there was no documented trauma to the teeth during service. For the peptic ulcer disease, the Board found that the symptoms were manageable with medication and did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.
The deciding factor: The veteran's current condition does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7305 as there is no evidence of recurring severe episodes or continuous moderate manifestations.
- Claimed conditions
- peptic ulcer disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 21, 2003
- Citation
- 0303117
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,642 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0303117.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal contesting eligibility to attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an October 3, 2025 rating decision. The AOJ issued a corrected FAN and amended FAN that replaced the previous decisions, leading to no valid appeal pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (generalized anxiety disorder), peptic ulcer disease, and hypertension due to potential errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions and records. The AOJ is required to obtain these opinions and records.
- Denied
The Veteran's peptic ulcer disease and residual scar status post appendix removal were not found to meet criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran was granted service connection for headaches, but the other issues remained denied or not met.,Service connection was denied for left hand disability, skin cancer, heart disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, low back disability, and sleep disorder.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.