The Veteran's right wrist disability was reduced from a 50% rating to a 10% rating effective February 1, 2016. The appeal for increased ratings prior to and after this date is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of ankylosis or extremely unfavorable ankylosis of the right wrist that would warrant higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the right wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- June 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19150810
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,863 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19150810.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date prior to October 17, 2013, for service connection of degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the right wrist due to a lack of evidence showing that the Veteran submitted a valid claim before this date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for a temporary total rating and an increased evaluation were remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded multiple claims for service connection, including for DJD of various joints and related disabilities such as hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy, and tinnitus. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current right wrist disorder. The examiner is requested to provide an opinion on whether it at least as likely as not that the Veteran’s current right wrist disorder was developed in or caused by any incident of his service, other than the injuries suffered during the October 2007 motor vehicle accident.
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.