The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left hand disorders were denied, as there was no current diagnosis of these conditions. His claim for an increased rating for PTSD prior to April 19, 2016 was also denied, but his claim for an increased rating from that date onward remains on appeal.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show the Veteran had a current diagnosis of right and left hand disorders or any other disability related to service. For PTSD, the symptoms were found to be consistent with the existing 30 percent rating prior to April 19, 2016, but insufficient for an increased rating from that date onward.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand disorder, left hand disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20081170
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple disorders, including left and right knee disorders, hypertension, left hand, foot, leg, and arm disorders, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a left hand disorder was dismissed due to the untimely filing of the notice of disagreement.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal for all issues, including service connection and rating claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a back disorder, gout, hypertension, a left hand disorder, and type II diabetes mellitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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