The Board found that the December 15, 1971 rating decision assigning a 20 percent disability rating for arthralgia of the shoulders as a residual of rheumatic fever constituted clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The effective date was set at November 13, 1987 for a 30 percent evaluation for arthralgia of the right shoulder and a 20 percent evaluation for arthralgia of the left shoulder. However, the Board also found that an earlier effective date than March 26, 1998 was not warranted for the current ratings.
The deciding factor: The December 15, 1971 rating decision did not assign a separate 10 percent disability rating for arthralgia of the right shoulder as a residual of rheumatic fever, which constituted CUE. The effective date was set at November 13, 1987 based on an increase in the disability of the shoulders from that date.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, multiple joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0104964
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 0104964.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Partly granted
Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome is granted.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset in service or as a result of a disease or injury in active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blackouts and fainting spells, a bilateral foot condition, and rheumatoid arthritis due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
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