The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis due to herbicide exposure, and did not address the claim for earlier payment start date of nonservice-connected pension and special monthly pension.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his military service in Vietnam. However, there is no evidence linking his current RA to this exposure or any other event during service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2011
- Citation
- 1110364
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 1110364.
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.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.