The Board has reopened the previously denied claim for service connection for post traumatic arthritis of the 4th and 5th MP joints of the right hand, finding that new evidence submitted by the Veteran relates to an unestablished fact necessary to reopen the claim. However, the Board also found that there is no medical evidence linking this current disability to service.
The deciding factor: The June 2011 private medical opinion did not link the Veteran's arthritis of the right hand's 4th and 5th MP joints to a service injury as it lacked specificity regarding the 'old injury' being referenced. The Board found that the buddy statements were competent but not probative due to lack of supporting details.
- Claimed conditions
- Post Traumatic Arthritis of the 4th and 5th Metacarpal Phalangeal (MP) Joints of the Right Hand
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2017
- Citation
- 1715633
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 1715633.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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