YOUR CONDITION, EXPLAINED
Cold Injury Residuals VA disability rating & claim guide
The VA rates Cold Injury Residuals under diagnostic code 7122, in 38 CFR § 4.104 (cardiovascular system), and the schedule provides three evaluation levels for it: 30%, 20% and 10%.
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A CLEARER PATH FORWARD
Make sense of your next step.
01Understand the rating02Know what to gather03Plan your preparationTHE ESSENTIALS
How the VA rates Cold Injury Residuals
Damage from frostbite or cold exposure causing numbness, pain, skin discoloration or circulation issues.
The rating ranges from cold sensitivity only at the lowest tier, through pain, numbness, or cold sensitivity at the middle tier, up to pain, numbness, nail changes, and tissue loss at the highest tier, confirmed through skin exam findings and a history of cold-weather exposure.
- Diagnostic code
- 7122
- Rating schedule
- 38 CFR § 4.104
- Schedule levels
- 30%, 20% and 10%
How does the VA choose a rating level?
Which level applies is set by the criteria the evidence meets, not by the diagnosis. Where there is a question as to which of two evaluations applies, 38 CFR § 4.7 assigns the higher one if the disability picture more nearly approximates the criteria required for that rating.
This code prints no 0% row. Under 38 CFR § 4.31, a 0% evaluation is assigned where the requirements for a compensable evaluation are not met.
EXPLORE THE PERCENTAGES
Cold Injury Residuals VA rating criteria (DC 7122)
Choose a percentage to see what that level means. Open the full comparison to read all the criteria in one place.
These are published rating criteria. Selecting a level does not predict your VA decision.
IN THE REGULATION’S OWN WORDS
What 38 CFR also says about Cold Injury Residuals
The notes 38 CFR Part 4 prints with these criteria, quoted. They govern how the evaluation is made without being a rating level themselves.
- “Note (1): Separately evaluate amputations of fingers or toes, and complications such as squamous cell carcinoma at the site of a cold injury scar or peripheral neuropathy, under other diagnostic codes. Separately evaluate other disabilities diagnosed as the residual effects of cold injury, such as Raynaud's syndrome (which is otherwise known as secondary Raynaud's phenomenon), muscle atrophy, etc., unless they are used to support an evaluation under diagnostic code 7122.”DC 7122
- “Note (2): Evaluate each affected part (e.g., hand, foot, ear, nose) separately and combine the ratings in accordance with §§ 4.25 and 4.26.”DC 7122
BUILD YOUR EVIDENCE, ONE PIECE AT A TIME
Evidence for your Cold Injury Residuals claim
A long list feels easier when you have a place to start. Use this checklist to see what you have and what still needs gathering.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
THE EXAM FORM
Which DBQ is used for Cold Injury Residuals?
- Cold Injury Residuals. VA's examiner completes this questionnaire; it is not publicly available.
Source: VA: Public Disability Benefits Questionnaires (DBQs), read September 18, 2026.
SMALL DETAILS. BETTER PREPARATION.
Preparing your Cold Injury Residuals claim
Start with the practical tips, then explore the common oversights. You don’t need to work through everything at once.
Practical tips for your claim2 tips
- 01
Submit deployment orders or documentation of a cold-climate base assignment, since the claim has to show the cold injury happened in service.
- 02
Describe circulation or skin issues in the affected areas specifically, since these are the physical findings the rating schedule depends on.
C&P exam pitfalls to keep in mind2 tips
- 01
Downplaying numbness or other residual symptoms during the exam.
- 02
No documentation of the cold-climate exposure that links the injury to service.
Common filing mistakes2 tips
- 01
Claiming the condition without deployment records confirming cold-weather service.
- 02
No current symptoms listed, leaving the claim without evidence of an ongoing residual effect.
When symptoms may first appear1 tips
- 01
Cold injury residuals typically stem from winter combat or field exposure, with symptoms sometimes not becoming apparent or bothersome until years later.
YOUR SERVICE STORY
Military jobs associated with Cold Injury Residuals
THE BROADER PICTURE
Cold Injury Residuals by the numbers
- Approval outlook
- High if stationed in cold zones with matching symptoms.
- Veterans service-connected
- ~1,600 veterans
- Typical rating awarded
- ~20%
Vetrify editorial estimates informed by VA published claims data (VBA Annual Benefits Report) and the VA rating schedule, not official VA statistics.
LET’S CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP
Common questions about Cold Injury Residuals
Is Cold Injury Residuals a VA-rated disability?
Yes. The VA rates Cold Injury Residuals under VASRD diagnostic code 7122 (Cardiovascular System). Damage from frostbite or cold exposure causing numbness, pain, skin discoloration or circulation issues.
What VA disability rating can I get for Cold Injury Residuals?
Possible VA ratings for Cold Injury Residuals are 30%, 20%, 10%, 0%. The 0% level comes from 38 CFR 4.31, which assigns it wherever no compensable level is met. Examples: 30%: With the following in affected parts: Arthralgia or other pain, numbness, or cold sensitivity plus two or more of the following: Tissue loss, nail abnormalities, color changes, locally impaired sensation, hyperhidrosis, anhydrosis, X-ray abnormalities (osteoporosis, subarticular punched-out lesions, or osteoarthritis), atrophy or fibrosis of the affected musculature, flexion or extension deformity of distal joints, volar fat pad loss in fingers or toes, avascular necrosis of bone, chronic ulceration, carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome; 20%: With the following in affected parts: Arthralgia or other pain, numbness, or cold sensitivity plus one of the following: Tissue loss, nail abnormalities, color changes, locally impaired sensation, hyperhidrosis, anhydrosis, X-ray abnormalities (osteoporosis, subarticular punched-out lesions, or osteoarthritis), atrophy or fibrosis of the affected musculature, flexion or extension deformity of distal joints, volar fat pad loss in fingers or toes, avascular necrosis of bone, chronic ulceration, carpal or tarsal tunnel syndrome; 10%: With the following in affected parts: Arthralgia or other pain, numbness, or cold sensitivity.
What's the typical VA rating awarded for Cold Injury Residuals?
Vetrify estimates the typical rating awarded for Cold Injury Residuals at around 20%, based on VA claims data and the rating schedule. An estimated 1,600 veterans are service-connected for Cold Injury Residuals. Estimated approval outlook: High if stationed in cold zones with matching symptoms.
What evidence helps prove Cold Injury Residuals for VA disability?
Strong evidence for a Cold Injury Residuals claim includes: Cold weather duty documentation confirming your service in a qualifying location; Skin exam findings documenting current residual effects.
Which DBQ is used for Cold Injury Residuals?
VA's examiner completes the Cold Injury Residuals questionnaire; VA lists it among the DBQs that are not available for public use.
What mistakes should veterans avoid when claiming Cold Injury Residuals?
Common pitfalls when filing for Cold Injury Residuals: Claiming the condition without deployment records confirming cold-weather service; No current symptoms listed, leaving the claim without evidence of an ongoing residual effect.
Official sources
- 38 CFR § 4.104, Schedule of ratings, cardiovascular system (Diagnostic Code 7122)
- 38 CFR § 4.7, higher of two evaluations
- 38 CFR § 4.31, zero percent evaluations
Criteria in quotation marks are the regulation’s own words; everything else on this page is Vetrify’s summary of it. The eCFR text is authoritative. See how Vetrify derives its numbers.
How these figures are checked: our methodology and the open dataset.
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