The Board has denied service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and residuals of a cold weather injury, frostbite to the bilateral feet. The Veteran's current conditions are not considered related to his in-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s current bilateral foot disabilities are more likely due to post-service factors such as a fall and diabetes rather than the in-service frostbite.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease, residuals of a cold weather injury, frostbite to the bilateral feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19144408
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the Notice of Disagreement.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate initial 20 percent rating for right knee meniscal tear based on limitation of knee flexion, and an initial 60 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease. It also granted TDIU due to service-connected residuals of prostate cancer.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher ratings for his service-connected conditions, as well as a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, to include arteriosclerotic heart disease, CAD, valvular heart disease, ventricular arrhythmia, and superventricular arrhythmia, based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Okinawa.
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