The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis disabilities are not supported by the evidence of record, and thus have been denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for any of the Veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis disabilities as they do not result in limitation of motion or other functional impairment that would warrant a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, fingers of right hand, rheumatoid arthritis, fingers of left hand, right wrist rheumatoid arthritis, left wrist rheumatoid arthritis, right knee rheumatoid arthritis, left knee rheumatoid arthritis, right ankle, foot rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2014
- Citation
- 1415514
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 1415514.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for right knee rheumatoid arthritis and increased ratings for related conditions. The Board dismissed the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder hydroxyapatite deposition with degenerative arthritis and left knee rheumatoid arthritis, finding that these conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and right knee disabilities, respectively.
- Dismissed
The Veteran passed away before the Board could make a decision on her service connection claims for rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome. Her appeal is dismissed due to her death.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome and denied service connection for left wrist rheumatoid arthritis.
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.