The Veteran's claim for a bilateral hand disability is denied. Service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected disabilities is granted, with the restoration of a 100 percent evaluation for malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the left thigh effective September 1, 2012. The Veteran's paresthesia and degenerative joint disease of the left wrist are each rated at 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a current bilateral hand disability that began during service or was related to an in-service injury. Service connection for depressive disorder is granted as it is aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. The paresthesia and degenerative joint disease of the left wrist are each rated at 20 percent based on their respective severity.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of mobility and function in the bilateral hands, depressive disorder, malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the left thigh, degenerative joint disease of the left wrist
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18157488
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 18157488.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's vascular headaches are granted effective August 22, 2011. A TDIU is granted effective February 11, 2015. SMC based on housebound criteria is denied prior to July 14, 2020.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 100% rating for depressive disorder, effective August 1, 2020, as the reduction was improper and did not comply with applicable regulations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, kleptomania, and PTSD is being remanded due to the AOJ's failure to obtain medical records from his periods of incarceration or a medical opinion regarding his diagnoses.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted service connection for migraine headaches effective August 10, 2022.,The Veteran was granted service connection for depressive disorder effective April 11, 2024.
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