The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disorder and a rating in excess of 30 percent for a post TKR left knee disability, as the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these disabilities and the Veteran's active service or any service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The September 2020 VA consulting provider opined that the Veteran's left wrist disorder was less likely than not related to his active service and any disease, injury, or event in-service, and that it was also less likely than not caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right wrist disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist disorder, post total knee replacement (TKR) left knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21063176
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 remands the claim for a left wrist disorder to obtain an addendum opinion, as the previous opinions were based on inaccurate factual premises.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left wrist disorder, resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of his left wrist, as the evidence did not support a finding that he had no effective function in the hand other than what would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below the elbow with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including inadequate VA examinations and failure to obtain etiological opinions.
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