The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left arm disability, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by his active service and is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected anxiety disorder.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a medical nexus between military service and the Veteran's current left hand disability on a direct basis. The Board found that the left hand disability was related solely to his 1977 self-inflicted gunshot wound, rather than to an in-service shrapnel injury or his service-connected anxiety disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm disability, gun shot wound to the left hand with osteoarthritis and peripheral/digitable neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2010
- Citation
- 1008324
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 1008324.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple psychiatric and physical disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left foot disability, left lower extremity sciatica, low back disability, and left arm disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for asthma but denied all other claims, including service connection for various conditions and a compensable rating for scars between the scapulae.
- Dismissed
The Board denied the veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral dry eye syndrome, sleep apnea, and a left arm disability due to untimely filing of the appeal requests.
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