The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been denied. The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding service connection for psoriasis/skin spots, an initial compensable rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand, and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a right foot surgery with hallux rigidus and gout (claimed as right foot hammer toe). The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for cervical degenerative disc disease has been denied. His claims have not yet been adjudicated.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the aforementioned issues, leaving only the issue of a TDIU which is pending.
- Claimed conditions
- psoriasis/skin spots, osteoarthritis of the right hand, residuals of a right foot surgery with hallux rigidus and gout (claimed as right foot hammer toe), scar, right great toe, status post-bunionectomy, residuals of a lumbar fusion from L3-L5 with spinal stenosis (claimed as low back), cervical degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2016
- Citation
- 1619170
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 1619170.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted effective dates of November 6, 2020 for both the TDIU and DEA benefits. The Veteran had no service-connected disabilities prior to this date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an adequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cervical spine disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected lumbar disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to his military service. An additional VA examination is needed to address these matters.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation (SMC) and special monthly pension (SMP) based on need for regular aid and attendance (A&A) or housebound status due to insufficient evidence showing that he needed such assistance.
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