The Veteran's claims for residuals of a cold injury, right ankle disorder, left knee disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and various spine disorders have all been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions regarding these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was insufficient medical evidence or credible testimony to establish a connection between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service, particularly given the lack of contemporaneous records and the passage of time since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of a cold injury, Right ankle disorder, Left knee disorder (chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease), Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Lumbosacral spine disorder, Cervical spine disorder, Left lower extremity radiculopathy, Right upper extremity radiculopathy, Left upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179130
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19179130.
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
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- Granted
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, right hand, and GERD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and failure to consider toxic exposure risk activities during service.
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