The Veteran's appeals for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back, hips, wrists and ankles, a left rotator cuff injury, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis of both thumbs, a hiatal hernia, fungus, left great toe and subsequent surgery, and cellulitis, left thigh have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right hip, status-post total hip replacement; chronic right wrist pain; degenerative arthritis of the left hip, including as secondary to nonservice-connected disability of the right hip; flat feet; hepatitis C; residuals of venereal disease (including herpes); and erectile dysfunction have been remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the dismissed issues during a hearing before the Board.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the back, hip pain (left rotator cuff injury), fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis of both thumbs, hiatal hernia, fungus, left great toe and subsequent surgery, cellulitis, left thigh
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18150988
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 18150988.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
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