The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than December 5, 1996 for a 10 percent disability evaluation for his service-connected right first finger injury residuals. The decision found that there was no indication of increased severity prior to December 5, 1996 and thus, the earliest date as of which it is factually ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred is December 5, 1996.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no objective evidence showing an increase in disability within one year prior to the submission of an informal claim on December 5, 1996.
- Claimed conditions
- right first finger injury residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 28, 2000
- Citation
- 0033882
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 0033882.
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
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