The Board has determined that the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is not service connected, as there is no evidence of its onset during or within one year after service. The VA examiner and physician have provided opinions indicating that the arthritis is more likely related to his work environment post-service rather than his military service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence indicates that rheumatoid arthritis was not present in service, nor did it become manifest within a year following discharge. The Veteran's own statements suggest that he developed the condition after leaving active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2014
- Citation
- 1411152
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 1411152.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and hepatic steatosis have been denied. The claim for rheumatoid arthritis is being remanded.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.
- Partly granted
Service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome is granted.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset in service or as a result of a disease or injury in active service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for blackouts and fainting spells, a bilateral foot condition, and rheumatoid arthritis due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
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