The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hand arthritis and degenerative joint disease were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examiner provided more probative weight to their opinion, concluding that the arthritis was not related to service. For his right pneumothorax with right lower lobectomy, the Board denied an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not establish a direct link between the veteran's current conditions and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand arthritis, degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2006
- Citation
- 0608671
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hand arthritis, right and left hand pain, and lumbosacral strain as there was no evidence of current disability or in-service injury, disease, or event.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hand and elbow arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of a right knee meniscal tear to include degenerative joint disease, finding that the Veteran's in-service injury led to his current condition.
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