The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for residuals of a left hand injury, finding that the earliest possible effective date is October 6, 1998.
The deciding factor: The RO received the veteran's first formal or informal claim for service connection on October 6, 1998, which was more than a year after his separation from active duty. The Board found no earlier claims and thus denied the request for an earlier effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a left hand injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2003
- Citation
- 0303457
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 685 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0303457.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a left hand injury are remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation (SMC).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for residuals of a left hand injury, right foot disability, residuals of a right eye injury, and sleep apnea. The claims are being remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbosacral degenerative joint disease, tinnitus, right elbow degenerative joint disease, and others, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective August 13, 2021.
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