The Veteran's claim of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis has been reopened, and the Board finds that new evidence supports a finding that his condition may be related to service. The Veteran is granted service connection for this disability.,Service connection is also granted for diverticulitis, as it is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to burn pits during military service.
The deciding factor: The Board finds the evidence sufficient to reopen the claim of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and grants this claim. The Veteran's history of joint pain in service and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon's opinion that his condition began during service supports this finding.,Regarding diverticulitis, the VA examiner found no direct link between the disability and military service but did find an association with burn pit exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis, diverticulitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 23, 2018
- Citation
- 1811137
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 1811137.
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 Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a colon condition, including as caused by herbicide agent exposure or secondary to his service-connected disabilities, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection on any basis.
- 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.
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