The Board found that the Veteran's varicose veins, low back disability, and bilateral ankle disability are not related to his active duty service or caused by or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disability. Therefore, these claims for service connection have been denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners determined that there is no evidence in the service treatment records indicating any complaints of varicose veins, low back pain, or ankle problems during service and found no medical literature supporting a link between the Veteran's current conditions and his service-connected knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- varicose veins, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the spine, bilateral ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1552444
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 1552444.
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 Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, varicose veins, and irritable bowel syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inextricably intertwined issues of service connection for chronic venous insufficiency and an increased rating for varicose veins. The AOJ must adjudicate both claims, request an addendum opinion from a VA examiner, and readjudicate the issue in light of all evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to errors in duty to assist and insufficient examination, as well as new evidence from the PACT Act. The Veteran's current DVT may be related to a motor vehicle accident during service, and there is no direct evidence of its cause. A VA examination will be conducted to address these issues.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to provide a VA examination in connection with the service connection claim for varicose veins. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to toxic exposure risk activity during his Gulf War service, and there may be a nexus between his varicose veins and this exposure.
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