The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and have denied his claims for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion found no causal relationship between the veteran's disabilities and military service, including exposure to mercury in dental fillings.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the hips, Degenerative arthritis of the shoulders, Degenerative arthritis of the neck, Rheumatoid arthritis of the spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2006
- Citation
- 0603213
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, as he did not meet the schedular criteria and there was no reasonable possibility that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, degenerative arthritis of the hands, and degenerative arthritis of the shoulders as these conditions were not incurred in active service, to include as residuals of cold injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.