The veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied, with the exception of a grant of service connection and a 10% rating for bilateral degenerative arthritis of the knees. The other conditions were not granted increased ratings.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of current disability from a low back disorder and concluded that the veteran's complaints did not meet the criteria for service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Degenerative Arthritis of the Knees, Bilateral Hallux Valgus, Gastritis, Low Back Disorder, Status Postoperative Release of Right Radial and Ulnar Nerves at the Elbow, Traumatic Arthritis, Right Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 6, 2004
- Citation
- 0400178
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 0400178.
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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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Partly granted
The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for traumatic arthritis was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the service connection claim for psoriasis with psoriatic arthritis was remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including unspecified depressive disorder, right and left hand tremors, GERD, IBS, gastritis, chronic sinusitis, dermatosis of the arms, hands, and feet, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral tinea pedis, and a lumbar spine disability. The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for TBI and a compensable rating for migraine headaches.
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