The veteran's claim for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only was denied as the evidence did not show that he had service-connected disability resulting in loss of use of at least one foot or a hand, or permanent impairment of vision in both eyes.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for entitlement to automobile and adaptive equipment under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Adjustment disorder with depressed mood associated with status post injury of the MCP joint of right thumb with osteoarthritis and limited range of motion, Status post injury of the MCP joint of right thumb with osteoarthritis and limited range of motion, Glaucoma of the left eye, Migraine headaches associated with glaucoma of the left eye, Limitation of motion of the right wrist associated with status post injury of the MCP joint of right thumb with osteoarthritis and limited range of motion, Surgical scar as a residual of right hand injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0900859
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0900859.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death. The appellant and VA are requested to provide additional medical records and obtain an addendum from a VA examiner.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's initial evaluation for left eye glaucoma remains at 10 percent, and the claim for TDIU prior to April 2, 2019 is denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, DMII, glaucoma of the left eye, bilateral tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's glaucoma of the left eye did not manifest during service or within close proximity to service, and is not related to his service-connected HIV. The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence linking the current condition to service.
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