The Board denied service connection for right hand and finger arthritis, as well as right wrist arthritis. However, the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was granted with a rating of 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence to support a secondary service connection claim for these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand arthritis, right wrist arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19124222
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right hand arthritis to obtain a new VA medical opinion addressing the Veteran's disability under a presumption of soundness.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding that the evidence did not support a link between his current conditions and his military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left shoulder, and bilateral plantar fasciitis. The appeal was also granted to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral hip disability.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected conditions.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.