The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hand rheumatoid arthritis did not have its onset within one year of service and is not otherwise related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no nexus between the Veteran's current bilateral hand condition and her in-service symptoms, as there was no contemporaneous documentation of such symptoms or diagnosis.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2017
- Citation
- 1750702
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 1750702.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis are remanded for further development, including obtaining medical nexus opinions regarding the relationship to service and toxic exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral hand rheumatoid and degenerative arthritis disability has worsened, leading to a remand for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient efforts by the AOJ in obtaining the Veteran's service records. Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but the issues related to psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis remain pending as they were not discussed or addressed in the July 2013 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.