The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hand disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and headache disability as the evidence did not support that any of these disabilities began during active service or were otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that any of the claimed disabilities began during active service, was otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease, or (relative to arthritis of some of the claimed joints, carpal tunnel syndrome, and headaches) manifest within one year of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, headache disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2024
- Citation
- 24032323
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 service connection claim for a bilateral knee disability to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, including scheduling an additional VA examination.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a bilateral knee disability, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and chronic pain syndrome due to untimely notices of disagreement.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal for an increased rating for a headache disability, and the Board dismissed the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, as it is unclear whether the Veteran's claimed conditions are due to any incident of his period of active service.
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