The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, left shoulder arthritis, and numbness in the left thumb and index finger.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed conditions are related to his service events. The private medical opinion provided a detailed rationale that considered lay and medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical spine arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, left thumb contusion, left index finger contusion
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031591
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for cervical spine arthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, traumatic brain injury (TBI), seizure disorder, and erectile dysfunction has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, specifically to obtain relevant Social Security Administration records.
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