The Board granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the left hand, effective January 28, 2019. The earlier effective dates for arthritis of the left index finger and ring fingers were also granted.
The deciding factor: VA examiners found that the Veteran's osteoarthritis was a progression of his service-connected laceration residuals, leading to functional impairment in all three fingers.
- Claimed conditions
- osteoarthritis of the left hand, arthritis of the left index finger, arthritis of the left ring finger, arthritis of the left long finger
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 7, 2022
- Citation
- A22024600
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 A22024600.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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 claims for increased ratings for his left wrist and hand disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Partly granted
The Board dismissed appeals related to the effective dates for PTSD and SMC ratings but remanded issues regarding earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several claims due to the submission of additional evidence and a need for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reconsidered.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, including chest wall discomfort and osteoarthritis of the left hand. The case is being remanded for an addendum medical opinion addressing the combined effects of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his occupational functioning.
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