The Veteran has been granted service connection for multiple undiagnosed illnesses affecting various joints and the right and left hands, knees, shoulders, and wrists.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on their occurrence during active duty in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms have been found to be consistent with undiagnosed illnesses occurring during service in the Southwest Asia Theater. The criteria for presumptive service connection under the Persian Gulf Veterans' Act are met.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Hand Disorder, Right Hand Disorder, Left Knee Disorder, Right Knee Disorder, Left Shoulder Disorder, Right Shoulder Disorder, Left Wrist Disorder, Right Wrist Disorder, Vertigo
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 21, 2015
- Citation
- 1531124
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 1531124.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's hearing loss is not rated higher than 10 percent.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disorder is related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a separate rating of 30 percent for vertigo is granted, while the claim for an increased rating for tinnitus remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further development, including verification of in-service stressors and toxic exposure assessments. The Board also requests a VA examination to address the etiology of his diagnosed mental health conditions and vertigo.
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.