The Veteran's service connection claims for a right bicep disorder and left thumb disorder were denied. The Veteran was granted an initial 50 percent disability rating for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, but the TDIU claim for diabetes mellitus, type 2, was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support service connection for either right bicep or left thumb disorders and the Veteran's depression resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, but not total occupational and social impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right bicep disorder, Left thumb disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 4, 2018
- Citation
- 18154927
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 18154927.
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 recurrent moderate major depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected plantar fasciitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae residual anterior neck scars, and right eye corneal scars.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining missing service records and a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for his thumb disorders and facial reconstructive surgery.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disorder but denied service connection for all other claimed conditions due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left arm, thumb, and index and long finger disorders due to inadequate medical opinions.
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