The Veteran's claim for service connection for swan neck deformity, claimed as degenerative joint disease of the left thumb, was granted with an effective date of May 26, 2023.
The deciding factor: The claim was received on November 15, 2022, and the Veteran continuously pursued it until his formal claim for service connection was submitted in May 2023. The effective date is set at the date of receipt of the claim as per VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- swan neck deformity, degenerative joint disease of the left thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26002965
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A26002965.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for residuals of left-hand laceration, status post arthroplasty, with decreased sensation of the thumb and with history of swan neck deformity and degenerative arthritis is being remanded due to inadequate examination evidence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and left thumb disability are all found to be service-connected. The combined rating for these conditions is at least as high as the schedular requirement for TDIU.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issues include service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, as well as reopening a claim for degenerative joint disease of the left thumb.
- Whole decision: 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.
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