The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than April 9, 2019 for the award of service connection for cervical spondylosis, lumbago, and dyshidrotic eczema of the hands are denied as there is no credible indication of any earlier filed claims that were properly submitted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not submit a formal VA Form 21-526 within one year of his December 2017 informal claim, and therefore, he is only entitled to an effective date of April 9, 2019 for the award of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spondylosis, lumbago, dyshidrotic eczema of the hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2020
- Citation
- A20017027
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 A20017027.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing from appellate consideration in December 2025.
- Dismissed
The appeal has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death while the appeal was pending.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left knee patellofemoral disease with chondromalacia, cervical spondylosis, intervertebral disc syndrome, and spinal stenosis, finding that these conditions were incurred during service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn all his appeals, including those for hypertension, headaches, heart disease with atrial fibrillation, cervical spondylosis, depression, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, rotator cuff tear, acromioclavicular arthritis of the right shoulder, dominant, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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.