The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hand disability and bilateral ankle, foot, and toe disabilities due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service or any other relevant factors.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's in-service treatment records do not show a causal link between his current hand and foot disabilities and the reported symptoms. The Board found that the examination was necessary but the Veteran did not report for it, making the evidence insufficient to establish the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disability, bilateral ankle, foot, and toe disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 18, 2022
- Citation
- 22046976
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 22046976.
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 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 bilateral hand disability, including exertional paresthesias and carpal tunnel syndrome, is granted as service-connected. The decision also remands the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral hand disability, an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for TBI with migraine, and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the listed conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of those claims at a hearing before the Board.
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