The Board denied the Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of his right hand, finding that he still had some limited function and would not be equally well served by an amputation with a suitable prosthetic appliance.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran did not have loss of use of the right hand due to functional limitations remaining in his hand despite ulnar nerve damage and atrophied muscles, and found no evidence suggesting he would be better served by an amputation.
- Claimed conditions
- ulnar neuropathy, loss of use of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19194188
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 19194188.
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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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's current right elbow disability is not linked to a disease or injury incurred in service, specifically his 1979 injury during active duty for training. The claim was denied as there was no credible evidence of continuity of symptoms since the injury.
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