The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cold injury residuals of the hands and feet, diagnosed as secondary Raynaud’s syndrome, are as likely as not attributable to an in-service occurrence. Therefore, service connection is granted for both conditions.
The deciding factor: The July 2019 private medical opinion concluded that the Veteran's current diagnosis of secondary Raynaud’s was most likely a service-connected injury due to his exposure to sub-zero temperatures during active duty at Grand Forks AFB from 1976 to 1980.
- Claimed conditions
- cold injury residuals of the hands, cold injury residuals of the feet
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20026958
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 20026958.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 decided to remand the case due to missing service records, and a need for further examination to determine if the Veteran's current foot condition is related to his service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of hypertension and epididymitis, as well as his claim to reopen the tuberculosis service connection issue, have been dismissed due to withdrawal requests from the Veteran.,The Veteran's appeal regarding cold injury residuals of the feet was also dismissed. The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen this previously denied claim.
- Granted
The Board has determined that there is equipoise of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's cold injury residuals of the feet are related to her military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cold injury residuals of the hands and feet as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.