The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a low back disability or a right thumb disability, with graft site scar. The claim for service connection for PTSD and residuals of a head injury will be addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence showing current diagnoses of either a low back disability or a right thumb disability. The appellant's service medical records are unavailable, and there is insufficient information to establish the occurrence of claimed stressors for PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Low back disability, Right thumb disability with graft site scar, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Residuals of a head injury
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2003
- Citation
- 0336086
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 0336086.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and arthritis, to include bilateral hips and knees, due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, prostate disability, and kidney cancer due to inadequate medical opinions and potential outstanding VA treatment records.
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