The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased evaluation for his right fifth finger disability and for an earlier effective date, as well as his claim for service connection for a kidney disorder with hypertension. The veteran's right little finger disability was found to be rated appropriately based on its current severity, and there is no evidence of pre-service or service-connected etiology for his kidney disorder.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's right fifth finger disability did not present an exceptional or unusual picture with marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization, thus preventing application of extraschedular standards. The veteran's claim for earlier effective date was denied as there is no evidence prior to January 7, 2002, of a claim being submitted and it is not factually ascertainable that the disability increased in severity before this date. For his kidney disorder with hypertension, the Board found insufficient evidence linking any disease or injury in service to the veteran's condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-operative tenodesis, right fifth finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2006
- Citation
- 0603031
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
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