The Veteran is not entitled to an effective date earlier than July 17, 2003 for the grant of service connection for degenerative joint disease with limitation of motion of the left hand as there was no clinical evidence of this condition at the time of his original claim in February 2000.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pre-2004 medical records do not show any clinical evidence of degenerative joint disease, and the post-2003 VA treatment records only reported on a history of arthritis dating back to service. The Board found that these records did not constitute competent medical evidence of the existence of the disorder at the time of the February 2000 claim.
- Claimed conditions
- degenerative joint disease with limitation of motion of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2009
- Citation
- 0917219
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 0917219.
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).
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