The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for a 40 percent disability rating for digestive disability and a 20 percent disability rating for left knee disability, as there was no legal or factual basis to support an earlier effective date.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of record that shows symptoms contemplated by a higher rating prior to the respective effective dates assigned in December 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic gastritis, and duodenitis (digestive disability), Patellofemoral syndrome, left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25106980
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 399 · Granted: 41% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A25106980.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has rendered him unemployable in a non-protected work environment. He is granted TDIU and SMC.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arteriosclerotic heart disease and PTSD, preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 31, 2008, for service connection and a 70 percent rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder, but denied earlier effective dates for the ratings of patellofemoral syndrome in both knees.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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