The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a scar on his left hand was denied. The RO found that the first formal claim for this condition was received in May 1999, and thus no earlier effective date could be granted.
The deciding factor: The earliest possible effective date would have been the date of receipt of the veteran's formal claim (May 17, 1999), as there was no prior pending claim for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- scar of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 19, 2001
- Citation
- 0111436
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0111436.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
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: Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for left wrist disability, IBS, right wrist disability, and an increased rating for a scar on the left hand. It remanded decisions on bilateral flat feet and sinusitis.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the Veteran's service-connected conditions, finding that the claims were not valid as they did not challenge the original effective dates assigned in 2003.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disorder is related to an injury sustained during active service, and grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a scar of the left hand is dismissed due to withdrawal. The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was denied as there is no credible evidence linking his current headaches to service.
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