The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left elbow disability, finding that there is no credible evidence linking his current condition to any in-service injury or event.,However, the Board granted service connection for a left hip disability (diagnosed as osteoarthritis), concluding that the preponderance of the evidence supports this finding.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not reflect any findings of a left elbow injury or symptoms of a left elbow disability, other than treatment for a rash on his left elbow in March 1992. The VA examiner found that the current diagnosis of left elbow strain is less likely related to service.,In contrast, the Veteran's STRs do reflect multiple reports of chronic intermittent left hip problems dating back to May 1989 and continuing until his separation from active service. The VA examiners agreed that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of left hip osteoarthritis which began during his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left elbow strain, Osteoarthritis of the left hip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20025233
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 20025233.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected left hand injury ring finger. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, degenerative disc disease, left cubital tunnel syndrome, and left elbow strain were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for additional development, including obtaining a new VA examination to address the inadequacies of previous examinations and obtain any relevant private treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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