The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected SFW, right shoulder, MG III, with retained foreign body, and denied service connection for a right ring finger disability as it was not related to the service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's right ring finger disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected SFW, right shoulder, MG III, and there was no medical evidence supporting a higher rating for the SFW, right shoulder, MG III.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ring finger disability, Shell fragment wound (SFW), right shoulder, muscle group III
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 5, 2009
- Citation
- 0908151
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · 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 0908151.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's right long finger disability is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5229.,The Veteran's right ring finger disability is currently rated at noncompensable (zero percent), which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5230.,The scars on the neck and upper back area are not productive of visible or palpable tissue loss, gross distortion, or asymmetry. Therefore, they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7800.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability in accordance with VA standards.
- Partly granted
The Board granted initial ratings for the Veteran's right thumb, index finger, and long finger disabilities, as well as a separate rating for his left thumb disability. The claims for increased ratings for the right ring and little fingers, and left ring and little fingers were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, left knee osteoarthritis, and left ankle sprain, while denying service connection for hypertension. The Board also granted an initial 20% rating for bilateral dry eye syndrome but denied compensable ratings for bilateral pinguecula and a right ring finger disability.
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