The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left hand injury. The Veteran does not have a current disability related to his military service, and there is no indication that any current left ankle disorder is related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of degenerative joint disease affecting this area of his left hand, and the period of time he was able to maintain gainful employment without difficulty working as a material handler using both hands does not support the notion that a current condition had its onset while in military service.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand injury, left ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2012
- Citation
- 1235329
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1235329.
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 Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disorder, and skin disorder (claimed as neurodermatitis) due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo additional VA examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for new VA examinations due to inadequate opinions in the July 2020 VA examination reports. The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, left ankle disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are being reviewed again to determine if they are related to his active duty service.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus and denied claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of left breast scars, hyperlipidemia/high cholesterol, bilateral hip disorders, and left ankle disorder.
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