The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and an increased evaluation for his service-connected depression. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's symptoms did not manifest until after a period of service during which he was barred from receiving VA benefits.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome did not begin in service, as there is no evidence showing it manifested prior to January 1996. The examiner also found that the Veteran's depression symptoms were not related to his period of active service.
- Claimed conditions
- left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 8, 2009
- Citation
- 0921392
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 0921392.
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 cases due to a duty to assist error, requiring new VA examinations for the appellant's left carpal tunnel syndrome and left wrist osteoarthritis.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal as it found that the benefits originally sought have been granted in full, and thus there is no longer a specific error of fact or law to address.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's left and right carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted increased ratings to 20% and 30%, respectively, effective from the date of the decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for hypertension, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a left foot condition must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The claim for an effective date of February 25, 2024 for bipolar disorder is granted.
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