The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left arm and hand condition, as well as his claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disability. The evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions that these conditions were related to service or secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no direct evidence linking the Veteran’s current arm and hand conditions to his military service, nor could they establish a connection between his service-connected left shoulder condition and his current symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm condition, left hand condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20064723
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,726 · Granted: 19% (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 20064723.
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 Veteran's hair loss and high cholesterol were denied as they are not considered disabilities for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's left arm condition was remanded due to inadequate examination, requiring a new evaluation.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for left elbow, hand, and knee conditions related to gout have been granted. The claim for a left hip condition has been denied due to lack of current disability evidence. Service connection for the left shoulder condition is also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues related to his neck, arm, and hand conditions is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claims will be reconsidered after these examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertensive heart disease, chest condition, left arm condition, right arm condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder are all granted.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.