The Board has determined that the effective date for the increased rating of each knee disability cannot be earlier than September 2, 1999. The claims to reopen service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, and right hand and wrist disabilities are denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.
The deciding factor: The increase in severity of the bilateral knee disability occurred after September 2, 1999, which is the earliest possible effective date based on the record provided.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Knee Disability, Chest Pains with Numbness in Both Arms
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2003
- Citation
- 0334247
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 0334247.
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.
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The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hip, knee, and ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence supporting an in-service injury or continuity of symptomatology. The claim for a psychiatric disorder was also denied as the Veteran's statements were found not credible.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an initial compensable rating for GERD was withdrawn, and the claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral knee disability, and right knee disability were denied.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due solely to IBS was denied, but an earlier effective date of April 28, 2023, was granted for the award of TDIU and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA).
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection and initial rating for various conditions was dismissed due to the submission of a duplicate Notice of Disagreement.
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