The Board found that arthritis of the left hand was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and is not linked to any incident of service. The Board also determined that it is less likely than not that the veteran's arthritis of the left hand was caused or aggravated by his service-connected gouty arthritis of the right foot.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's arthritis of the left hand did not begin during service and was not linked to any incident of active duty. The examiner also found no evidence that the veteran's arthritis of the left hand was caused or aggravated by his service-connected gouty arthritis of the right foot.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0607367
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the entire skeletal system (other than cervical spine, right shoulder, bilateral hands, and left foot), a left knee condition (other than arthritis), and other specific joints. The claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left hands to schedule a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal for an earlier effective date for PTSD was dismissed. The claims for service connection for various conditions were remanded for further evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for gynecomastia, arthritis of both hands, and evaluation for residuals of a right hand fracture. The Board found errors in the VA's duty to assist the veteran.
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