The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings for cold injury residuals of the right and left hands were denied as his symptoms, including pain, numbness, cold sensitivity, nail abnormalities, and arthritis, are already contemplated by the current 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7122.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's disability is fully capable of evaluation under the rating schedule, but his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are already addressed in the current 30 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- cold injury residuals, right hand, cold injury residuals, left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- A26008361
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 A26008361.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for arthritis of the lower back, cold injury residuals of both hands, and PTSD based on new evidence.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on multiple service-connected conditions, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an additional VA examination and proper notice under VCAA.
- Granted
The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for cold injury residuals of the left hand and right hand, effective as of the date of this decision.
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