The Board denied the claims of service connection for arthritis of the right leg, left leg, and multiple joint arthritis due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions had their onset in service or were related to an injury or disease during service.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided did not support a finding that the Veteran's arthritis was present in service or related to exposure to cold weather while on guard duty, and there was no clinical evidence of arthritis problems for over three decades following his separation from active service.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the right leg, arthritis of the left leg, multiple joint arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20047088
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 20047088.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for multiple joint arthritis and sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his military service, and the weight of the medical evidence does not support a link to service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn and dismissed. The appeal regarding a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint and disc disease is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for nerve damage of the right leg, left leg, arthritis of the legs, diabetes mellitus, lymphoma, deviated septum, digestive disability, and hernia disability were all granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's right and left knee disabilities do not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent. The claim of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded due to incomplete medical opinions and outstanding VA treatment records.
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