The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's bilateral hand condition is less likely than not incurred in or caused by an event, injury or illness in service. The examiner concluded that work in a cold environment would not cause ongoing hand pain unless there was previous evidence of frostbite or cold injury which was not documented in his service treatment records.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of osteoarthritis in the Veteran's hand x-rays, suggesting other forms of arthritis may be responsible for his symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Nonspecific Arthritis of Proximal Interphalangeal Joints (PIP) in both hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2018
- Citation
- 1803745
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1803745.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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