The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder, knees, and low back disability due to a lack of evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence (CUE) that the current disabilities were incurred in or aggravated by service. The veteran's statements about combat injuries did not establish a nexus with his current conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the left shoulder, Arthritis of the knees, Degenerative disc disease of the low back
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 28, 2006
- Citation
- 0627191
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and arthritis of the left shoulder, finding that these conditions were aggravated by active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to determine if service connection is warranted for bladder cancer, arthritis of the back and knees, and hearing loss. The Veteran's private treatment records are requested, as well as a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial rating of 40 percent for low back disability is granted, while a higher rating for PTSD with depression remains denied. The issues of service connection for skin disability and TDIU are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for obstructive sleep apnea and degenerative disc disease of the low back have been granted. The claim for a higher evaluation for Raynaud’s phenomenon has been denied, but the issue is being remanded. Effective date issues are pending for thyroid cancer and gastritis secondary to thyroid cancer.
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