The Board denied service connection for varicose veins of the left leg and peripheral vascular disease, phlebitis, and cellulitis of the left leg due to a lack of clear and unmistakable evidence that these conditions pre-existed service or were not aggravated during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found no clear and unmistakable evidence that varicose veins of the left leg pre-existed service or were aggravated by service, but concluded that peripheral vascular disease, phlebitis, and cellulitis of the left leg did not warrant service connection as they are not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- varicose veins of the left leg, peripheral vascular disease of the left leg, phlebitis of the left leg, cellulitis of the left leg
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 30, 2004
- Citation
- 0402811
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 0402811.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a left upper extremity nerve condition and remanded the claims for varicose veins of both legs due to an inadequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for lumbar spine condition L4-5, varicose veins of the left leg, and varicose veins of the right leg due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied increased ratings for phlebitis of the left leg and right leg.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for varicose veins of the left leg, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.
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