The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral hands was reopened and granted. Service connection is also granted for right foot plantar fasciitis/tendonitis, TMJ syndrome, and bilateral patellofemoral knee syndrome. The issue of increased rating for right ankle condition remains pending.
The deciding factor: New evidence provided a current diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis in the hands, which was previously denied due to lack of such a diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee disorder, rheumatoid arthritis of the bilateral hands, right ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19123912
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,828 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19123912.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disability, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder, gout, multiple painful joints, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions, and thus service connection cannot be granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral hip conditions, right knee condition, and/or right ankle condition are related to service. The claims are remanded for further development.
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.