The Veteran was granted service connection for various hip and shoulder conditions, as well as radiculopathy associated with lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, all effective December 1, 2014.,No earlier effective dates were granted due to the lack of supporting evidence in the claims file at the time of the initial rating decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service treatment records were not associated with the claims file at the time of the December 2015 rating decision, which is when his claims for these conditions were initially denied. The effective date was granted based on the earliest date that the Veteran filed a claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Traumatic Arthritis of the Left Shoulder, Traumatic Arthritis of the Right Shoulder, Left Hip Osteoarthritis, Limitation of Extension, Left Hip Osteoarthritis, Limitation of Flexion, Osteoarthritis, Left Hip Impairment, Right Hip Osteoarthritis, Limitation of Extension, Right Hip Osteoarthritis, Limitation of Flexion, Osteoarthritis, Right Hip Impairment, Lumbar Spine Degenerative Joint Disease, Radiculopathy of the Right Lower Extremity Associated with Lumbar Spinal Degenerative Joint Disease, Radiculopathy of the Left Lower Extremity Associated with Lumbar Spinal Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2023
- Citation
- A23036976
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 A23036976.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disability and a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected depressive disorder and other conditions caused or aggravated his obesity, which in turn may have contributed to his OSA.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not require regular aid and attendance, thus denying his claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance by another person.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral hip, rhinitis, and left wrist disabilities prevent her from retaining substantially gainful employment.
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