The Board has granted an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected residuals of a right foot injury to 20 percent and for his service-connected residuals of a right thumb injury to 20 percent, effective January 5, 1996.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the veteran had limitations in motion of both feet and thumbs due to their respective injuries sustained during service. The Board found these conditions warranted increased ratings based on the severity of the disabilities as per VA rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot Injury, Right Thumb Injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0303581
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 673 · Granted: 27% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0303581.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right foot injury, ankle inversion injury, and dermatitis and folliculitis are being remanded for further development due to the complexity of the issues.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for right thumb injury, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current numbness and an in-service injury.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's request for an increased rating for his right foot disability and TDIU was denied. The Board found that the disability did not meet criteria for a higher evaluation, but granted TDIU.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right thumb injury, finding that the most probative evidence shows symptoms of limited motion with a gap between the thumb and fingers of one to two inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm).
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.