The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ring finger, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee conditions have been denied.,Service connection was granted for a left wrist condition (rated as 10 percent disabling), GERD (rated as 10 percent disabling), lumbosacral strain (rated as 10 percent disabling), and left ear hearing loss (rated as 10 percent disabling).
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current disability of the right or left knee that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ring Finger Condition, Left Shoulder Condition, Right Knee Condition, Left Knee Condition, Left Wrist TFCC Tear, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Lumbosacral Strain, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Left Elbow Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2015
- Citation
- 1520746
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1520746.
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: Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between any current disability and service.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.