The Veteran's claims for arthritis in the right hand and DJD in the thoracolumbar spine were granted. The claim for arthritis in the left hand was denied as it is not service-connected due to lack of continuity of symptoms since separation from service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence of chronicity or continuous symptomatology for the claimed conditions, and thus could not establish service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis in the right hand, arthritis in the left hand, DJD in the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19180623
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.
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