The Board has determined that the Veteran's left little finger crush injury with tendon damage does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his lumbar strain does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence shows that the Veteran's left little finger crush injury is manifested by permanent flexion of 70 degrees without extension, but he still has hand dexterity. His lumbar strain did not result in limitation of motion to 85 degrees or less and does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Left little finger crush injury with tendon damage, Lumbar strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2010
- Citation
- 1003982
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 1003982.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 1, 1973, for the award of service connection for a lumbar spine disability but remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 4, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.
- Granted
The veteran was granted a total rating based on individual unemployability due to a service-connected disability (TDIU) from April 28, 2017, and basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) as well as special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound criteria were established from the same date.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 7, 2021, as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to obtain and secure substantially gainful employment during that period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and a higher disability rating for lumbar strain, as well as service connection for eczema and a right hip condition.
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