The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, left hand, and left foot as there is no evidence that these conditions began during or were otherwise related to active service.
The deciding factor: There was no in-service diagnosis or treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. The Veteran's current diagnoses are not shown to have begun within one year after separation from service or be related to an in-service injury, event, or disease including the claimed jet gun inoculations.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand, rheumatoid arthritis of the left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22067977
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 22067977.
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 rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine was granted a 20 percent rating from December 8, 2021, to October 12, 2022, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of rheumatoid arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left hip, and left knee due to his withdrawal of the appeal.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand and right hand have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of these claims.
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