The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease (DJD)/osteoarthritis of the knees, shoulders, back, and hands, colon cancer, and a prostate disorder. The claims were not reopened as new and material evidence was not submitted.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish that any of the claimed conditions were related to service or incurred within one year of discharge, nor did it show continuity of symptoms since service.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease (DJD)/osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees, Degenerative joint disease (DJD)/osteoarthritis (OA) of the shoulders, Degenerative joint disease (DJD)/osteoarthritis (OA) of the back, Degenerative joint disease (DJD)/osteoarthritis (OA) of the hands, Colon cancer, Prostate disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22000326
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a lung disability and a bilateral foot disability based on new evidence, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and colon cancer.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for colon cancer and individual unemployability (TDIU) due to a duty to assist error, requiring further development of evidence related to toxic exposure activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death to ensure all reasonably raised theories of entitlement are developed, specifically regarding a direct service connection theory based on complaints in the Veteran's service treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, colon cancer, arthritis, a respiratory disability (asthma/COPD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities or links to service.
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