The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hand disabilities due to lack of evidence showing their onset during service or being related to an injury or event in service. The case was remanded for further development on increased ratings for a left knee disability, extraschedular ratings for right knee orthopedic disability and scarring, and TDIU.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective February 1, 2012.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be established as the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of hand disabilities that are related to service. The Board found no evidence in the record showing that his current right and left hand disabilities were incurred or aggravated by service.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted effective February 1, 2012, as he has been shown to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Disability, Left Hand Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- January 30, 2018
- Citation
- 1805925
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 1805925.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and erectile dysfunction, but denied service connection for headaches, left hand disability, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, right foot disability, right arm/shoulder disability, diabetes, and individual unemployability. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, right foot/ankle, left hand, and right hand disabilities to correct a duty to assist error by obtaining new VA examinations and opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including OSA and hypertension, due to inadequate medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and occupational background.
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