The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current right hand disability related to service, and thus denies his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion is highly probative as it explains that cellulitis has no long-term complications and fully resolved within a week during service without any complications.
- Claimed conditions
- numbness, pain, cellulitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1520898
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 1520898.
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 disability of numbness, tingling, and pain in the left lower extremity is granted as service connected.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a link between any service-connected disability and the Veteran's death. The conditions listed on his death certificate were not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of cellulitis and there is no recent diagnosis prior to his claim. Therefore, service connection for cellulitis is denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn by the appellant.,Service connection for pain secondary to a service-connected condition is denied. The Veteran does not have a current disability of pain that is related to service or a service-connected condition he is not currently compensated for.
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