The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right thumb disability and sleep disability have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The claim for service connection for residuals of a right ankle fracture remains pending.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient medical evidence to establish the presence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's reported in-service injuries, particularly given conflicting findings from VA and private examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Dislocation, Sleep Disability (to include Sleep Apnea)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2012
- Citation
- 1202988
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 1202988.
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 claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, and he is awarded separate initial 10 percent ratings for left hand strain with painful index finger motion and long finger motion. The claims for other disabilities are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disability, to include sleep apnea and back disability are not fully developed. The effective dates for granting service connection have already been established.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed for the claims of service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, sleep disability (to include sleep apnea), and headache disability (to include as due to a TBI). The Veteran's VA treatment records from Tuscaloosa, Alabama in January 2011 are requested. Additionally, the Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, sleep disability (including sleep apnea), low back disability, cranial disability (including a neuro cognitive injury due to concussion), and neck disability. The appeal is not about service connection at all.
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