The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left wrist arthritis, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, and alcohol dependence), and a higher rating for his service-connected left scaphoid fracture. The decision found no current evidence of arthritis or any other mental health condition for VA compensation purposes.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the Veteran did not have current disabilities for which he could seek service connection, as there was no evidence of arthritis or psychiatric conditions in his claims file.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist arthritis, anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, alcohol dependence
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1738270
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 1738270.
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 obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need to obtain an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability with alcohol dependence.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including persistent depressive disorder and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified, are found to be related to his service. His alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder are also found to be secondary to these conditions. The Veteran's PTSD claim is denied due to lack of verified in-service stressor. Bilateral hearing loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease claims are also denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left wrist arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that these conditions are related to his service-connected right wrist disability.
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