The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right thumb sprain, right shoulder impingement syndrome, bilateral pes planus with right foot sesamoiditis, and major depressive disorder. A remand was issued for a claim of entitlement to TDIU.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support higher ratings based on the criteria provided by the applicable rating schedules.
- Claimed conditions
- right thumb sprain, right shoulder impingement syndrome (right shoulder disability), bilateral pes planus with right foot sesamoiditis, major depressive disorder with anxious distress and melancholia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 18, 2024
- Citation
- 24002626
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 claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings or a grant of service connection.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy were granted a rating of 40 percent, but no higher. The claims for increased ratings for the femoral nerve radiculopathy and service connection for dental disability, right thumb sprain, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine degenerative arthritis with spinal stenosis, and TDIU were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands all service connection claims for further development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of right thumb sprain, left thumb sprain, and left shoulder condition. The Board found that medical opinions were inadequate and needed to address the veteran's theory of entitlement due to chemical exposure in Southwest Asia.
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