The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left hand disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions were given significant weight as they are supported by physical examinations of the Veteran and a review of the claims file. The Veteran's lay assertions regarding the etiology of his current left hand complaints were found not competent medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand crush injury, degenerative joint disease of the left hand first metacarpal joint and metacarpophalangeal joints
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2016
- Citation
- 1643083
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 1643083.
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 has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to noise exposure during active duty. Service connection for left hand crush injury is also granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and service connection claims have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or special home adaptation grant was denied as she does not meet the criteria for assistance due to her service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing and further development. The Veteran's appeal is currently in a pending state.
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