The Veteran's claims for compensable initial ratings for various service-connected disabilities have been denied. The Board has remanded several of the issues for further evaluation, including those related to arthritis and wrist conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a finding that any of the service-connected disabilities meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Scar of the Left Fifth Digit, Scar of the Left Shoulder, Scar of the Right Shoulder, Scar of the Right Wrist, Bilateral Foot Arthritis, Plantar Fasciitis, and Hallux Valgus, Left Ankle Osteoarthritis and Sprain, Right Wrist Arthritis and Residuals (Status Post Right Ulnar Styloid Fracture and Right Scaphoid Bone Fracture with Retained Hardware), Left Carpal Ligament Instability, Lumbar Spine Degenerative Disc Disease at L5-S1, Multiple Level Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Residuals of Left First Digit (Thumb) Fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18133763
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 18133763.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete service department records and in-service stressor verification. The Veteran's PTSD claim is reopened, but new evidence must be provided before a decision can be made.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits based on service-connected disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions prior to November 13, 2006.
- 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.