The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left and right ankle disabilities, lumbar spine disability, knee disabilities, hip disabilities, foot disabilities, diabetic retinopathy, shoulder disabilities, cervical spine disability, heart disorder, and psychiatric disorders. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of any of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records are incomplete due to fire damage, and the available records do not show chronic or compensable manifestations of any of the claimed disabilities during service or within one year following discharge. The Board found no evidence linking any current disability to active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder), Cervical spine disability, Diabetic retinopathy, Heart disorder, Left ankle disability, Left foot disability, Left hip disability, Left knee disability, Left shoulder disability, Lumbar spine disability, Right ankle disability, Right foot disability, Right hip disability, Right knee disability, Right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19110831
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19110831.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board found that they do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
Your appeal of the March 28, 2025 rating decision that deferred adjudication of your right hip disability claim has been dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 10, 1997, for a 10% disability rating for his right ankle disability is denied as there was no CUE in the previous decisions.
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