The Board denied the appellant's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for a back injury and also denied his request for an increased combined rating. The decision upheld the current 40% rating.
The deciding factor: The new evidence did not provide sufficient material that would change the outcome of the case, and the combined rating was correctly calculated based on existing regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- back injury, left wrist disability, CTS
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- May 31, 2001
- Citation
- 0115020
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 0115020.
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 appeal for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right shoulder disability and left wrist disability based on credible lay evidence of in-service onset and ongoing symptoms.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's back injury, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. The other claims were remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for hypothyroidism and migraines was dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal. The appeals for right and left wrist disabilities are remanded for further development.
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