The Veteran's claims for leukocytosis, right foot plantar fasciitis, and a right ankle disability are denied. The Veteran's seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, left and right wrist rheumatoid arthritis with osteopenia, left and right knee strain with rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia are granted. Service connection for hair loss is also granted on secondary basis.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support the Veteran's claims for leukocytosis, right foot plantar fasciitis, or a right ankle disability as she does not have current diagnoses of these conditions. The Veteran's seronegative rheumatoid arthritis, left and right wrist rheumatoid arthritis with osteopenia, left and right knee strain with rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia are related to her in-service bacterial food poisoning that caused severe Klebsiella pneumonia gastroenteritis.
- Claimed conditions
- Fibromyalgia, Hair Loss, Left Knee Strain with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Left Wrist Rheumatoid Arthritis with Osteopenia, Leukocytosis, Right Ankle Disability, Right Foot Plantar Fasciitis, Right Knee Strain with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Right Wrist Rheumatoid Arthritis with Osteopenia, Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2024
- Citation
- A24074842
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 A24074842.
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 a 70% rating for PTSD from November 25, 2015 to August 12, 2024 and a 40% rating for the right shoulder disability. It also granted 10% ratings for both feet and 20% ratings for knee patellofemoral pain syndromes.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new examination and further developing evidence related to toxic exposure during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
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