The Board denied the veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his right elbow contracture with ulnar neuropathy, finding that the current 20 percent rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the flexion contracture was not caused by ulnar neuropathy and found no evidence to support a higher rating based on the veteran's symptoms or functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right elbow contracture, Ulnar neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 22, 2006
- Citation
- 0614948
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,013 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Outcome labels are AI-extracted from each decision; spot checks have found mislabels, so treat percentages as approximate.
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0614948.
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: Denied
The Veteran's ulnar neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities prior to January 14, 2016 was not shown to have manifested in more than mild incomplete paralysis. Therefore, initial disability ratings in excess of 10 percent are denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's neurological disability of the right upper extremity, including carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy, began during active service and is at least as likely as not related to military service. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 22, 2017 due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected right little finger disability and associated ulnar neuropathy did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 11, 2020.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information. How we handle your email.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.