The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for frostbite residuals of the left and right feet and ankles, obesity, degenerative joint disease or generalized arthritis (claimed as rheumatoid arthritis), right radicular pain from lumbar spine disease (claimed as right leg paralysis), and individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the veteran's current symptoms were sufficiently severe to warrant a higher rating, and there was no medical nexus linking any of the claimed conditions to his period of service or to his service-connected frostbite residuals.
- Claimed conditions
- frostbite residuals of the left foot and ankle, frostbite residuals of the right foot and ankle
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- September 8, 2003
- Citation
- 0323014
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 0323014.
What this means for you
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- Denied
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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