The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hand disability that was incurred or aggravated by service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence of record does not demonstrate the Veteran had a bilateral hand disability in-service. The VA examiner's opinion concluded that the Veteran’s hand disability is less likely than not caused by cold exposure in Korea.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hand Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20059175
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20059175.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a back disability, bilateral hand disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral foot disability.,Service connection is denied for chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of both hands, effective June 19, 2010. The underlying service-connected bilateral hand disability resulted in a significant impairment after this date.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for OSA and a bilateral hand disability due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's sleep disorder may be related to her active service, but more evidence is needed regarding her hand disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting evidence regarding the onset and etiology of his claimed disabilities. Additional VA examinations are needed to determine if any current disabilities are related to service.
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