The Board has determined that the veteran's injury to his right thumb, sustained on July 9, 1992, was not incurred in the line of duty but resulted from his own willful misconduct. Therefore, service connection for residuals of a fracture of the right thumb is denied.
The deciding factor: The military personnel found that the veteran engaged in willful misconduct at the time of the incident and concluded that this conscious wrongdoing was the proximate cause of the injury to his right thumb.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a fracture of the right thumb
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2002
- Citation
- 0207680
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 0207680.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including fractures of the wrists and ankles, a foot disorder, hypertension, lacerations to fingers and palms, and a skin condition. The decision states that there is no current evidence of these conditions during the appeal period.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for all issues related to his service-connected left shoulder, right thumb, and left thumb disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claim can be evaluated, including obtaining treatment records and a supplemental opinion from the Veteran's compensation and pension examiner.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.