The Board found that the Veteran has residuals of in-service frostbite of the ears and right foot, but denied service connection for residuals of frostbite of the right lower extremity (other than the right foot), the left lower extremity and upper extremities due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his in-service exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided conflicting conclusions regarding whether the Veteran's current sensory-predominant polyneuropathy is related to his in-service frostbite injury, with some indicating a link and others not. The Board gave greater weight to the July 2011 VA medical opinion which concluded that there were no objective findings to verify residuals of frostbite of the right lower extremity (other than the right foot), the left lower extremity and upper extremities.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite of the ears, residuals of frostbite of the right lower extremity (other than the right foot), residuals of frostbite of the left lower extremity and upper extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2011
- Citation
- 1141826
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 1141826.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for residuals of frostbite of the ears. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including blurred vision, night sweats, traumatic brain injury, sleep apnea, psychiatric disability (PTSD, major depression and anxiety), residuals of frostbite of the ears, and low back disorder. The decision is based on a finding that there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations. The veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.
- Denied
The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder and left knee disorder, finding no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service. The claim for residuals of frostbite of the ears was granted.
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