The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for arthritis of the hands, as his current condition was not caused or aggravated by any in-service injury. The preponderance of the evidence does not establish continuity of symptoms since service and osteoarthritis was not diagnosed until years after separation.
The deciding factor: The September 2014 VA examination provided a negative nexus opinion, concluding that the Veteran's bilateral hand osteoarthritis is more likely due to normal aging rather than any in-service injury or exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1531459
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 1531459.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been presented to warrant readjudication of the claim for service connection for arthritis of the knees, elbows, and hands. The matter is being remanded for further consideration on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's assertions regarding his hips locking and falling into foxholes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not associating the Veteran's service treatment records with the claims file, and therefore the Board is unable to decide the issues currently on appeal. The Board also finds that remand for development of a longitudinal exposure record (ILER) and a TERA opinion is necessary.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for vitiligo, bilateral hand degenerative arthritis, and bilateral distal radioulnar osteoarthritis have been granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's arthritis of the hands, stating that it did not manifest during or within one year after service and is not related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
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