Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral upper extremity disability (claimed as arthritis) due to lack of evidence showing an in-service onset or causation, and no link between any current disability and military service.

The deciding factor: There is no competent or probative evidence of an in-service incurrence or aggravation of a bilateral upper extremity disability, and there is also no competent or probative evidence of a nexus, or link, between any current bilateral upper extremity disability and an in-service injury or disease.

Claimed conditions
arthritis
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
November 29, 2019
Citation
19190246

Veterans Law Judge

Joshua R. Castillo

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 19190246.

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.

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.