The Veteran's right shoulder, knee, and GERD conditions do not meet the criteria for higher initial disability ratings. Service connection was denied for a right foot disorder and chest pain.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's right shoulder condition has limitation of motion midway between the side and shoulder level or arthritis with pain not contemplated by the rating criteria, nor is there a current diagnosis of arthritis. The knee conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings due to lack of limitation of motion, flexion to 30 degrees, or a current diagnosis of arthritis. GERD does not show persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation accompanied by substernal or arm or shoulder pain.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder condition, right foot disorder, chest pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2009
- Citation
- 0905284
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0905284.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that side effects from prescribed medications contributed substantially and materially to his accidental motorcycle collision resulting in fatal injuries.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, chronic fatigue, congestive heart failure, DM II, hypertension, and a right shoulder condition. The Veteran's claims were based on presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
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