The Board denied service connection for a left thumb disorder and a left ankle disorder as the evidence did not support a nexus between any current disorders and injuries sustained in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's current left thumb and left ankle conditions were related to her military service, based on the lack of continuity of symptoms after service and the nature of the injuries documented in service compared to those treated later.
- Claimed conditions
- Left thumb disorder, Left ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2009
- Citation
- 0910797
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 251 · Granted: 25% (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 0910797.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, left ankle disorder, and right ankle fracture are all granted service connection. The right ankle fracture is remanded for a higher disability rating.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for back, left knee, and left ankle disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee tendinitis.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow any substantially gainful employment prior to July 12, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, hypertension and heart disorder as secondary to service-connected residuals of right calf gastrocnemius herniation repair, compartment syndrome, neuropathy.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.