The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for varicose veins, right lower extremity. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current right lower extremity varicose veins are related to his service-connected left lower extremity varicose veins or pre-existed service.
The deciding factor: The evidence received since the last final denial suggests that the Veteran's right lower extremity varicose veins may not have been present at the time of service and could be aggravated by his service-connected left lower extremity varicose veins.
- Claimed conditions
- varicose veins, right lower extremity, varicose veins, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2023
- Citation
- 23006035
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 23006035.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, varicose veins in the right lower extremity, and varicose veins in the left lower extremity are being remanded due to errors in the duty to assist. The VA is required to obtain a VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia, stage 3 chronic kidney disease, varicose veins of the right lower extremity, and varicose veins of the left lower extremity as there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claims for left knee osteoarthritis, right knee meniscal tear with osteoarthritis, and varicose veins of both lower extremities due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the bilateral lower extremity varicose veins, finding that the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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