The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a herniated left leg muscle and for separate evaluations under Diagnostic Codes 5268 and 5269 (right knee). The Veteran was granted entitlement to total disability due to individual unemployability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a diagnosis of a herniated left leg muscle, and the Board found that the Veteran's symptoms were better explained by varicose veins. The right knee issue was resolved as there was no separate compensable symptomatology for which a separate rating could be assigned under Diagnostic Code 5268.
- Claimed conditions
- Herniated left leg muscle, Varicose veins of the left leg
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181889
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 Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the severity of service-connected varicose veins and the etiology of any psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to incomplete record submissions and the need for updated examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were partially denied, with some issues remanded.
- Denied
The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and compensation for his varicose veins of both legs, finding that the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond 20 percent.
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