The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a disability of the bilateral lower extremities and a lung disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no objective evidence supporting cold weather injuries or residuals thereof, and concluded that the Veteran’s current disabilities were more likely due to non-service-related factors such as age, smoking, physical inactivity, and high cholesterol.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral lower extremities, lower extremity neuropathy, left leg mononeuritis, bilateral knee replacements, peripheral vascular disease (PVD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20053433
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 20053433.
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
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, varicose veins, and irritable bowel syndrome are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus type II was denied. Service connection was granted for right hammer toe, left hammer toe, pes cavus, and peripheral vascular disease (PVD).
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, or establishing service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), deviated septum, carpal tunnel syndrome of the upper extremities, acquired psychiatric disorder, heart disorder, hypertension, sleep apnea, and peripheral vascular disease.
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