The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left index finger disability and service connection for his left wrist disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his service-connected left index finger disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the current left wrist arthritis was not incurred in or aggravated by service nor was it caused or aggravated by his service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Osteoarthritis, left index finger with mallet deformity, Osteoarthritis, left wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19192498
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 19192498.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of October 21, 2019, for a disability rating of 30 percent for left knee meniscal tear, ACL tear, and osteoarthritis status post left total knee replacement.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for osteoarthritis and a neck disability, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, chronic kidney disease, cell bladder carcinoma, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal issues, as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active duty for training.
- Granted
The Board granted the appellant's eligibility for direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded from a March 2024 rating decision that granted service connection for anxiety/depression, left wrist, rhinitis, and tinnitus disabilities.
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