BVA decisions by condition
Cold injury residuals: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a cold injury residuals issue in 2,008 decisions. It granted the cold injury residuals issue in 17.1% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 35.9%, and remanded it in 46.6%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 32.3% were granted.
Decisions
2,008
2017–2026
Granted
17.1%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
32.3%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
46.6%
Denied: 35.9%
Cold injury residuals outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 333 | 17.4% | 33.6% | 44.1% | 4.8% |
| 2018 | 481 | 13.9% | 39.9% | 44.3% | 1.9% |
| 2019 | 517 | 14.7% | 37.3% | 43.9% | 4.1% |
| 2020 | 483 | 17.8% | 38.5% | 41.2% | 2.5% |
| 2021 | 342 | 19.9% | 36.8% | 41.5% | 1.8% |
| 2022 | 414 | 24.4% | 25.6% | 49.0% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 323 | 14.6% | 28.8% | 54.5% | 2.2% |
| 2024 | 289 | 18.7% | 37.0% | 43.3% | 1.0% |
| 2025 | 228 | 25.0% | 36.0% | 36.8% | 2.2% |
| 2026 | 108 | 15.7% | 49.1% | 31.5% | 3.7% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied cold injury residuals decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the cold injury residuals issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 281 | 65.0% | 24.7% | +40.3 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 237 | 62.0% | 26.1% | +35.9 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 512 | 46.1% | 26.6% | +19.5 pts |
| Combat service | 133 | 42.2% | 31.4% | +10.7 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,725 | 32.5% | 30.1% | +2.4 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 71.7% of the decisions that granted cold injury residuals.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 56.3% of grants and 16.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often cold injury residuals was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 916 | 27.9% | 36.7% | −8.8 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,331 | 29.5% | 40.5% | −11.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied cold injury residuals
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established40
- Already at the maximum schedular rating10
- Service connection established5
- Credible lay statements3
- Meets criteria for 30% rating under DC 71223
- Service records negative or silent3
- New and material evidence received to reopen claim3
- Credible testimony of in-service injury2
Most common reasons in denials
- No current diagnosis137
- Service records negative or silent68
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim60
- Current diagnosis established49
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service42
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis33
- Already at the maximum schedular rating33
- Criteria for increased rating not met10
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent cold injury residuals decisions
Granted
AOJ conceded frostbite diagnosis; Veteran credibly testified to frostbite onset and symptoms; VA examiner's negative opinion given little weight due to reliance on absence of complaints; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor
Current disability established; Service treatment records silent regarding cold injury; Credible lay testimony regarding frostbite during Army Ranger School in 1969; Military personnel records corroborate attendance at Ranger School; Established in-service injury; Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptoms found credible; VA examiner's negative opinion based solely on lack of STRs was overridden; Benefit of the doubt applied, granting service connection
Service treatment records confirm in-service treatment for frostbite; Inadequate VA examination failed to consider lay statements and provide nexus; Later VA evidence confirmed disability and provided positive nexus
Denied
No new and relevant evidence submitted; STRs did not document complaint, treatment, or diagnosis of cold injury; Post-service records silent for residuals of cold injury
No current diagnosis of frostbite residuals; Service treatment records silent for frostbite complaints; VA examinations found no current disability; Lay testimony not competent for diagnosis
Service connection for primary disability (lymphoma) denied.; No evidence of in-service onset or service relation for cold sensitivity.; Benefit of the doubt doctrine does not apply.
Rules that apply to cold injury residuals claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your cold injury residuals case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a cold injury residuals issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.