The Board denied the veteran's claims for an earlier effective date prior to November 21, 2020 for the grant of service connection for various disabilities and DEA benefits.
The deciding factor: There was no basis upon which to award an earlier effective date as the Veteran did not file a formal claim within one year of the initial denials or any subsequent evidence that would have supported an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle sprain, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, back disability, bilateral lower extremity femoral nerve disability, bilateral lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right knee meniscal tear, right knee scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25030604
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 issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee meniscal tear with degenerative arthritis and granted a separate 20 percent rating for right knee instability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle, left ankle, back disability, and other conditions as there is no evidence of a current disability related to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for right knee strain to ensure that the estimated range of motion provided for repeated use over time and during flare-ups is sufficient for rating purposes.
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