The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions did not have their onset during active service or within a year of separation, and thus denied service connection for all of his knee, ankle, foot, hip, shoulder, and cervical spine disorders.
The deciding factor: The STRs do not contain relevant notations regarding the claimed conditions, and the Veteran's assertions that they had their onset in service are not credible given his contemporaneous denial at separation.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disorder, right knee disorder, left ankle disorder, right ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right foot disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20026510
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 20026510.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various hip and lower extremity disorders, including as secondary to a lumbar spine disorder. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, back disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a failure to provide notice regarding the Veteran's right to a hearing.
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