The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral lower extremity disorder, finding that it is not causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service, including exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that the current disorder is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided clear conclusions with supporting data and reasoned medical explanations connecting the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity disorders to his nonservice-connected conditions (incompetent valves, obesity, family history) rather than to his in-service herbicide exposure or service-connected coronary artery disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral lower extremity disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21021710
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 21021710.
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: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, as the evidence did not show that these conditions rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current lower extremity symptoms are related to his service. The VA examiner is instructed to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran now has a vascular condition affecting his lower extremities, and if so, whether it was caused by military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral lower extremity disorder, including knee and calf pain, but denied service connection for a back disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity disorders, finding that there is no nexus between his current disabilities and his military service, including exposure to cold weather.
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.