The Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left hand disorders, as well as a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease prior to December 12, 2018, have all been denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support the Veteran's claims that his current bilateral hand arthritis or lumbosacral DDD are related to service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Disorder, Left Hand Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2026
- Citation
- 26002665
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 26002665.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, but denied service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease, left hand disorder, right knee disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to his shoulders, elbows, hands, ankles, and back are remanded due to confusion regarding the procedural posture of the case and clarification needed on whether any issues had previously been adjudicated. The Board also notes that updated VA treatment records should be obtained and an examination conducted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left hand, right hand, left hip, and right hip disorders due to lack of evidence showing they were incurred or related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various right hand, wrist, ankle, knee, and shoulder disorders due to incomplete examinations and lack of consideration of functional loss.
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