The Veteran's bilateral hand strain and arthritis of the right first metatarsal phalangeal joint of the right foot are not service-connected. The current rating for arthritis is also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current conditions to service, including a history of injury in 1976 that resolved without sequelae.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand strain, arthritis of the right first metatarsal phalangeal joint of the right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1524846
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 1524846.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, lumbosacral strain, cervical strain, bilateral knee strain and left knee osteoarthritis, bilateral hip trochanteric pain syndrome, bilateral elbow strain, bilateral foot degenerative arthritis, bilateral shoulder strain, and bilateral hand strain. OSA was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal request was denied as it was not timely filed within one year of the rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to his service-connected disabilities is granted. The Board found that the Veteran's obesity acted as an intermediate step between his service-connected disabilities and his OSA.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hand strain and a bilateral elbow disability, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during active service and have persisted since.
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