The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral knee arthritis, bilateral shoulder arthritis, gastrointestinal disability, headaches, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or relationship to service.
The deciding factor: There was no medical evidence showing an in-service injury or disease related to the claimed conditions, and post-service treatment records did not show any continuity of symptoms or diagnoses until many years after service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral knee arthritis, bilateral shoulder arthritis, gastrointestinal disability, headaches, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19172090
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 19172090.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the addition of new evidence. The Veteran is also asked to complete a TDIU claim form, and his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and face numbness need to be evaluated.
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