The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran was not treated for arthritis in service or within the first post-service year, and his current arthritis is not related to his military service. His PTSD symptoms include difficulty sleeping, nightmares, anger, irritability, short-term memory loss, disturbed mood, and relationship issues.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no evidence of rheumatoid arthritis during or within one year after the Veteran's military service, suggesting that it is more likely related to post-service events rather than his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 11, 2009
- Citation
- 0934199
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 0934199.
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 service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support direct service connection or any other theory of entitlement.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on a direct basis, finding that the Veteran's condition is related to his in-service exposure to burn pits and other environmental toxins during his Southwest Asia service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis as there was no evidence of a current disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to outstanding records of private treatment and a lack of VA medical opinions.
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