The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied as the earliest date of claim is March 13, 2009.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a valid claim prior to March 13, 2009, which is the effective date assigned for his service connection awards.
- Claimed conditions
- DJD and lateral instability of the left knee, degenerative changes of the right wrist, degenerative changes of the right elbow, scars of the lateral left thigh, scar of the left wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2017
- Citation
- 1702872
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 1702872.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for eligibility to enroll in the PCAFC program was remanded due to errors in notification and lack of a clinical determination as to whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate. The AOJ must obtain medical opinions, provide proper notice, and address these issues before making a final decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including VA examinations to assess the current nature and severity of various conditions. The Veteran's service connection claims are not addressed as they involve direct service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for the left ankle scar, left wrist scar, left ankle disability, and left knee disability. The cases are being remanded for further evaluation of the Veteran's left knee, left wrist, and left ankle disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete VA examinations and other procedural issues. The Veteran is also being referred for a TDIU determination prior to July 22, 2020.
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