The Board denied service connection for a disability of the right hand, to include arthritis, as it is less likely than not that the current condition is causally related to an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: The examiner's opinion was that the laceration and injury sustained during active service are less likely than not related to the veteran's current hand condition, which developed over a number of years.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2008
- Citation
- 0814146
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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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for an eye condition, hearing loss, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes due to a regulatory duty to assist error.
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