The Board denied service connection for a left elbow disability and granted a rating of no more than 30 percent for bilateral pinguecula, effective from November 15, 2022. The Veteran's current left elbow disability is not service-connected, while the bilateral pinguecula remains service-connected with a 30% rating.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of a current left elbow disability and determined that any such disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. For the bilateral pinguecula, the Board noted that there were no incapacitating episodes as defined by VA regulations during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Elbow Disability, Bilateral Pinguecula
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24000416
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,812 · Granted: 30% (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 24000416.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disability, back disability, and left elbow disability must be remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran provided lay reports of symptoms but the VA examiners did not consider these reports in their conclusions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating of 70 percent for PTSD is granted. The case is remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding his left elbow disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from August 22, 2012 to February 28, 2014 and November 1, 2014 to February 27, 2017. The Board granted TDIU for these periods.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities is denied because the evidence does not show he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
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.