The Veteran's left knee and left hand disabilities were denied service connection due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.,Service connection requires a diagnosis of current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury, and a causal relationship between the current disability and the disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that there is no medical basis to support a link between any in-service injuries and left knee degenerative arthritis. The Veteran's recollections of left knee pain are not sufficient to establish a reliable diagnosis of arthritis during service.,There was insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's left hand disability began during service, as his STRs do not mention any hand or finger problems.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee degenerative arthritis, left hand disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2026
- Citation
- A26018882
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 A26018882.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis is dismissed. The claims for service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions are granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative arthritis and shin splints due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA examination. The case is now pending with a request for a new opinion.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right knee disability, left knee arthritis, and bilateral knee instability. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay evidence regarding the onset of symptoms in service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right knee degenerative arthritis, as his current conditions are not linked to his military service.
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