The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than June 1, 1998, for a grant of service connection for sarcoidosis, arthritis of the second finger of the left hand, hypertension, degenerative changes of the right acromioclavicular joint, hemorrhoids, second degree burns on the second and third fingers, and residuals of a broken fifth finger of the right hand.
The deciding factor: The veteran's initial claim for service connection was received on June 1, 1998, and there is no evidence prior to this date that can be construed as a claim for these disabilities. The effective date cannot therefore be earlier than June 1, 1998.
- Claimed conditions
- sarcoidosis, arthritis of the second finger of the left hand, hypertension, degenerative changes of the right acromioclavicular joint, hemorrhoids, second degree burns on the second and third fingers, residuals of a broken fifth finger of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2003
- Citation
- 0326450
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 0326450.
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 service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for sarcoidosis as new and relevant evidence has been received since the previous denial.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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