The Board found that the veteran did not sustain a right hand injury during service, and therefore denied service connection for a scar on the right hand.
The deciding factor: The service treatment records clearly reference an injury to the veteran's left hand during service, making it unlikely that he injured his right hand. The lay statements of comrades submitted by the veteran were recollections of events approximately 62 years after they took place and are not credible when weighed against the objective medical evidence in the record.
- Claimed conditions
- scar on the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2009
- Citation
- 0904104
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and scar on the right hand as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to an inadequate medical opinion.
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