The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the cervical spine and arthritis of the right hand, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent medical evidence showing a direct relationship between his current disabilities and his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the cervical spine, Arthritis of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2013
- Citation
- 1340007
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 1340007.
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 Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for the period on appeal, as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to maintain gainful employment.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability was reopened, and a 20 percent rating was granted for the cervical spine condition effective July 18, 2021.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for arthritis of the right and left hands, finding that the current condition is at least as likely as not etiologically linked to the Veteran's operation of heavy machinery during active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence and a need for additional medical opinions.
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