The Board found that the Veteran's right hand and back disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The VA examiner concluded that the current conditions are less likely caused by in-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current right hand disability (carpal tunnel syndrome) and back disability (degenerative disc disease) are more likely due to overuse from his job as an office machine repairman, rather than service-related injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Disability, Lumbosacral Spine Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1726718
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 1726718.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the current evidence is insufficient to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, and thus remands the claims for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions provided in his VA examinations. The claims include tension headaches, a psychiatric disability (diagnosed as generalized anxiety disorder), a cervical spine disorder, hand tremors, a lumbosacral spine disorder, a gastrointestinal disorder, and residuals of a hydrocele.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD is granted, and he is awarded separate initial 10 percent ratings for left hand strain with painful index finger motion and long finger motion. The claims for other disabilities are remanded.
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