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
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 20003833.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, frostbite of the left and right feet, painful scar of the right foot, xerosis (also claimed as skin rash), and obstructive sleep apnea with effective dates from November 17, 2020 or later.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected frostbite residuals of the hands and feet are being remanded for further evaluation as his symptoms have worsened since the last examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, kidney transplant and residuals thereof, neck artery disability, leg bypass surgery and residuals thereof, left leg to right leg artery transplant and residuals thereof, and frostbite of hands and feet. The Veteran's service records are unavailable due to a fire, but VA must assist in the development of his claim.
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