The Board found that the Veteran's right hand, wrist and fingers disability did not begin during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of a chronic injury or neuropathic symptoms at the time of the 1976 injury, and the current condition is attributed to cubital tunnel syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand/Wrist Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20081321
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,185 · Granted: 28% (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 20081321.
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 the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right hand/wrist disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition related to such a disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The rating for bilateral hearing loss was improperly reduced, and the original 50% rating is restored. The right hand/wrist disability claim has been remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities, including PTSD, right hand/wrist disability, lumbar spine condition, left knee disability, right knee disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The Board has also determined that verification of the Veteran's in-service stressors is needed.
- Denied
The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for residuals of a fracture of the fourth toe of the left foot, finding no evidence of current disability resulting from an inservice injury. The right hand/wrist issue remains pending.
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.