The Board has determined that the Veteran's swelling of the fingers, to include a thumb disorder, was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking the Veteran's current symptoms to any disease, injury, or incident during his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- swelling of the fingers, thumb disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0929352
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 0929352.
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 service connection claim for swelling of the toes, fingers, and knees due to undiagnosed illness is granted. The claims for nocturia, syncopal episodes, and a right hip disability are left unresolved as there is insufficient information provided in the decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral wrist, elbow, and thumb disorders, as well as a left shoulder disorder, were denied. The claim for residuals of a fracture of the right ring finger was also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and SSA records. The VA will then re-evaluate the claims based on the new evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete notification and evidence, particularly regarding medical records from service.
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