The Board denied the veteran's service connection claims for ankylosis and arthritis, secondary to a gunshot wound to the right second toe; a left foot condition; and degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence indicating that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service, and pre-existing conditions were not aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Ankylosis and arthritis, secondary to a gunshot wound to the right second toe, Left foot condition, Degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2009
- Citation
- 0902715
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a cervical spine disability to obtain an adequate medical opinion addressing both causation and aggravation.
- Denied
The Board denied higher ratings for the Veteran's knee and cervical spine disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine has prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful occupation, and he is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims for PTSD, lumbar spine condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left foot condition, and right foot condition due to a lack of evidence supporting their direct or secondary relationship to the Veteran's military service.
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.