The Board has denied service connection for various joint conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, as they are not considered to have been caused by the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s rheumatoid arthritis did not begin during service and was not related to his service-connected bilateral knee condition.
- Claimed conditions
- neck condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right index finger condition, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, right great toe condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21002503
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 21002503.
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 remands the claims for service connection for nocturia, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition due to a duty to assist error in not obtaining necessary medical opinions.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal requests for service connection and increased ratings were denied due to untimeliness, as the appeals were not filed within one year of the respective rating decisions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection, higher ratings, and earlier effective dates, as well as dismissed his claim for a TDIU.
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