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.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony regarding a continuity of symptoms following the 1979 injury was found to be not credible due to conflicting medical records and his inconsistent statements over time.
- Claimed conditions
- right elbow osteophytosis, right elbow degenerative changes, ulnar neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20064475
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,977 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 20064475.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for ulnar neuropathy of the right upper extremity should be remanded due to incomplete evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right carpal tunnel syndrome, along with ulnar neuropathy, are rated at 30% since March 1, 2012.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right and left hand condition (diagnosed as ulnar neuropathy) to obtain an additional medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a nerve disability affecting the left upper extremity to obtain an addendum opinion addressing its etiology.
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