The Board found that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were without legal merit, as his initial claim was received on August 12, 2004 and he did not submit a formal or informal claim prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted an application for service connection for joint pain, right shoulder arthralgia and erythema nodosum (claimed as skin rash of the legs) on August 12, 2004. No earlier claims were found in the record prior to this date.
- Claimed conditions
- joint pain, right shoulder arthralgia, erythema nodosum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2012
- Citation
- 1224609
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 1224609.
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 veteran's claims for effective dates of November 24, 2021, for various conditions were granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic lichen sclerosus is granted. The case of a recurrent skin disability of the legs including erythema nodosum and the rating issue for vaginitis with moniliasis are both remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected erythema nodosum, including scarring, is being remanded due to the need for clarification on the extent of his scars and further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected erythema nodosum is being remanded for further evaluation due to the length of time since his last examination and the presence of active symptoms.
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.