The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hand disability, including trigger fingers and carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or aggravation. The Veteran did not provide any lay testimony or other evidence to support his claims.
The deciding factor: There is no medical opinion linking the current hand disabilities to service, as the November 2015 VA examiner found it less likely than not that the conditions were related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disability, trigger fingers, carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21004532
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 21004532.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome in the left upper extremity, and the Board has dismissed this case.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Additional development is needed for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome, increased ratings for lower extremity radiculopathies, and obtaining a VA TERA opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to procedural errors in the adjudication process. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence and a thorough review of all relevant medical records.
- Granted
The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve post traumatic mononeuropathy of the right upper extremity is rated at 40 percent effective July 23, 2019.
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