The veteran's nasal deformity is service-connected, but his right thumb and left fifth finger disabilities are not rated higher than the current 10%.
The deciding factor: Service connection for nasal deformity was established based on in-service injury. The right thumb and left fifth finger disabilities were found to be due to pre-existing conditions or other causes.
- Claimed conditions
- Left fifth finger fracture, Nasal deformity, Right thumb fracture with degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 6, 2005
- Citation
- 0500388
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 541 · Granted: 32% (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 0500388.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for an earlier effective date of the 30 percent evaluation for the Veteran's nasal deformity is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his hearing request and the appeal remains open in the Direct Review Docket.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial compensable rating for residuals of a left fifth finger fracture and degenerative arthritis of the left hand, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating based on limitation of motion or arthritis affecting multiple joints.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s allergic rhinitis and sinusitis did not meet criteria for a higher rating, while his residuals of left fifth finger fracture and right hand injury were also denied. Both issues are now remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's cervical strain disability is rated at 30% under the applicable schedular criteria, and an extraschedular rating is not warranted.,VA medical records indicate that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.
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