The Veteran's service-connected right wrist median nerve paresthesia/atrophy and arthritis do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s inconsistent reporting of his inability to work, combined with the fact that he can still perform many activities of daily living and has difficulty only with preparing meals due to right wrist/hand pain, does not support a finding of unemployability.
- Claimed conditions
- right wrist median nerve paresthesia/atrophy, right wrist arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18158139
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 18158139.
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 Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded all issues for further development, including verification of the Veteran's service dates and consideration of any newly identified periods of service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran will be provided with notice of his right to a hearing before the VA.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with effective dates of April 1, 2019.,Service-connected conditions include left and right wrist arthritis, hand conditions, back condition, lower extremity radiculopathy, OSA, and RLS.
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.