The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than June 26, 2017 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on anatomical loss of the bilateral lower extremities was denied. The Board found that the increase in severity of his service-connected residuals of frostbite occurred more than one year prior to his claim and thus the effective date is June 26, 2017.
The deciding factor: The increase in the Veteran's disabilities (anatomical loss of bilateral lower extremities) occurred more than one year prior to his June 26, 2017 claim for increased ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite of the left foot, residuals of frostbite of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- January 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20003833
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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