The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hand disability is not etiologically related to treatment at a VA Medical Center (VAMC). The loss of use of both hands was not linked to any injury or condition treated by the VAMC.
The deciding factor: There is no credible medical evidence linking the veteran's bilateral hand disability to treatment by the VA, and his disabilities are not associated with any injuries sustained at a VAMC.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of use of both hands, burns on the right hand, headaches due to head injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2001
- Citation
- 0118487
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0118487.
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 loss of use of both hands is granted with a 100% rating from May 4, 2015 to September 15, 2019. SMC(n) and SMC(p) are also granted for the period before September 16, 2019.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to numbness and loss of use in both hands resulting from surgery performed by VA in June 2016.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 100 percent rating for Parkinson's disease with major neurocognitive disorder and a 100 percent rating for loss of use of both feet and hands from June 7, 2021. The other claims were denied.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development to determine whether the Veteran has an additional disability, to include a left and/or right wrist or hand disorder, as a result of the excision of a right shoulder mass and right cubital tunnel release performed by VA in June 2016 and/or as a result of his post-operative treatment.
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