The Board denied a compensable rating for residuals of a crushed right index finger prior to November 7, 2006, and a rating in excess of 10 percent since that date. The Board also denied a compensable rating for status post right inguinal hernia surgery prior to November 7, 2006, and a rating in excess of 10 percent since that date. The Board further denied an increased rating for degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The veteran's residuals of a crushed right index finger did not meet the criteria for a compensable or higher rating, and his status post right inguinal hernia surgery also did not warrant a compensable or higher rating. The DJD of the lumbar spine was rated at 20 percent but no higher.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of a crushed right index finger, Residuals of status post right inguinal hernia surgery, Degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the lumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2009
- Citation
- 0903090
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,547 · Granted: 20% (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 0903090.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, but granted a 40 percent rating for right upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for the Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine to schedule a new examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the inadequacy of the May 2017 VA examination and the need for a new examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected cervical and lumbar spine disabilities.
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