The Board denied service connection for left elbow, right elbow, left hand, and right hand disabilities as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service.
The deciding factor: The competent medical evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral elbow and hand symptoms were incurred in or otherwise related to his active service, including any hazardous Gulf War exposures.
- Claimed conditions
- left elbow disability, right elbow disability, left hand disability, right hand disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2024
- Citation
- A24073245
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 appeal for further examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal disability and denied earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for allergic rhinitis, migraine headaches, PTSD, and tinnitus. The Board also denied increased ratings for allergic rhinitis and tinnitus and remanded claims for service connection for right elbow disability.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions of the left and right hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and foot, but granted service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia. The decision was based on medical evidence that did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a right elbow disability, left hand disability, and left shoulder disability to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions in relation to the Veteran's reported in-service injuries.
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