The Board denied a request for an effective date prior to April 16, 2014 for the award of service connection for DJD of the cervical spine, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, residual scar from GSW of the back, and mild interphalangeal osteoarthritis of the left fifth finger.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the earliest effective date legally assignable is April 16, 2014, which corresponds to the date of receipt of the Veteran's claim for these disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the cervical spine, Patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, Residual scar from gunshot wound (GSW) of the back, Mild interphalangeal osteoarthritis of the left fifth finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19186811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,810 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19186811.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for cervical spine DJD, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and left upper extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete development.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities have been remanded due to new treatment records showing possible worsening of his conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, effective February 5, 2022. The rating for LUE radiculopathy remains unchanged.
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.