The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection of arthritis in both ankles and knees due to improper procedural requirements.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement or elect to participate in the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP) as required by the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis in the right ankle, arthritis in the left ankle, arthritis in the right knee, arthritis in the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2026
- Citation
- A26024020
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 A26024020.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if any current left lower extremity condition is related to service, and whether any arthritis is related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis in the left knee, obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and back pain, is being remanded due to new evidence submitted. The VA will schedule examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's residuals of a left ankle fracture, including his past diagnosis of arthritis.
- Denied
The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service, and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.
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