The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and finds that he had additional disability in both hands due to surgeries performed at VA medical facilities, which was caused by carelessness or lack of proper skill on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: The IME opinion indicates worsening hand contractures after VA surgeries, while previous VA opinions concluded any increase was due to natural progression and not aggravated by surgery. The Board gives the veteran the benefit of doubt.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2006
- Citation
- 0631674
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,555 · Granted: 19% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0631674.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to procedural errors in the adjudication process. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence and a thorough review of all relevant medical records.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hand disability, including exertional paresthesias and carpal tunnel syndrome, is granted as service-connected. The decision also remands the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral hand disability, an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for TBI with migraine, and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the listed conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of those claims at a hearing before the Board.
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