The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for various hand and finger disabilities, as well as hypertension, was denied. The effective dates for service connection were also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations or earlier effective dates.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Heberden's nodes, right thumb, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Heberden's nodes, left thumb, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Bouchard's nodes, right index finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Bouchard's nodes, left index finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Bouchard's nodes, right long finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Bouchard's nodes, left long finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis, Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes, right little finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis, Heberden's and Bouchard's nodes, left little finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis, right ring finger, Degenerative Arthritis with tenosynovitis and Bouchard's nodes, left ring finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24020003
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 A24020003.
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 for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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