The Board denied service connection for elbow surgery due to nerve damage, severe right leg pain causing inability to walk distances, bilateral foot pain and swelling, shoulder disorder, and low back disorder. The claims were remanded for further examination.,Service connection was not granted for any of the claimed conditions.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners found no evidence linking the Veteran's current disabilities to his active service or a cold injury during service, and concluded that the disabilities are more likely due to other causes such as diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and degenerative changes in the spine.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral foot pain and swelling, Elbow surgery due to nerve damage, Low back disorder, Severe right leg pain causing inability to walk distances, Shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19193878
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · Granted: 30% (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 19193878.
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: Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the evidence did not show an in-service onset or relationship to service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disorder and bilateral knee disorders due to duty to assist errors prior to the rating decision on appeal. The Veteran is not prejudiced as a remand is necessary to correct these errors.
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