The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for vocal cord damage with chronic hoarseness and swallowing/coughing impairment have been denied as there is no evidence of severe esophageal stricture or inability to communicate by speech.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has severe esophageal stricture, which would warrant a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7203. The Veteran's symptoms are consistent with his current ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- vocal cord damage with chronic hoarseness, swallowing/coughing impairment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1552093
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 1552093.
What this means for you
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