The Board denied service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound of the fifth (pinky) finger of the right hand as there was no competent medical evidence establishing a nexus between the Veteran's claimed condition and his active military service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence that establishes a nexus between the Veteran's claimed residuals of a shrapnel wound of the fifth (pinky) finger of the right hand and his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a shrapnel wound of the fifth (pinky) finger of the right hand, arthritis of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0908308
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.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these issues.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the entire skeletal system (other than cervical spine, right shoulder, bilateral hands, and left foot), a left knee condition (other than arthritis), and other specific joints. The claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right hand disability, claimed as arthritis, due to a lack of evidence showing a current disability during or approximate to the filing of the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left hands to schedule a VA examination.
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