The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the feet and hands, knees, shoulders, chloracne, and diabetes mellitus type II (DM2), were all denied. The Board found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate any of these claims.
The deciding factor: The new evidence provided was cumulative and did not establish the presence of any of the claimed conditions during service or within one year of separation, nor did it provide a plausible link between any current condition and service.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"left foot arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"right foot arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"left knee arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"right knee arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"left hand arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"right hand arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"left shoulder arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"right shoulder arthritis","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"chloracne","status":"denied"}, {"condition_name":"diabetes mellitus type II (DM2)","status":"denied"}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20003499
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
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.