The Board granted an initial 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's amputation of the tip of his right ring finger, finding that it caused mild functional impairment and symptoms such as numbness, a weakened grip, an irregular nail with ingrowth, and discomfort and painful motion. The claim for service connection for bunion, left foot was remanded to the RO.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's amputation of the tip of his right ring finger caused mild functional impairment including numbness, a weakened grip, an irregular nail with ingrowth, and discomfort and painful motion, which warranted a higher initial evaluation under DeLuca v. Brown.
- Claimed conditions
- bunion, left foot, amputation of the tip of the right ring finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 14, 2010
- Citation
- 1046652
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 1046652.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased rating and service connection for various foot conditions, including bunions, peroneal tendonitis, ataxia in the right leg, nerve damage to the right leg, and a pinched nerve in the right foot. The Board dismissed these appeals as a result.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete certification of the appeal, additional VA medical records submitted after the October 2019 SOC, and the need for clarification on right foot surgery history. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for osteoarthritis, 2nd metatarsal phalangeal joint, left foot; a back condition secondary to a left foot condition; and a bunion secondary to a left foot condition. The Board found that there was no aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that the Veteran did not have continuity of symptoms since service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back pain, scoliosis, cervical spine arthritis, left arm lateral epicondylitis, knee bursitis, leg and hip conditions, restless leg syndrome, nosebleeds, gastrointestinal issues, headaches, dizziness, foot arthritis, bunions, osteoporosis, hypertension, heart condition, insomnia, sleep apnea, myofascial pain syndrome, eye pain/dryness, gynecological condition (uterine cysts/fibroids), breast cancer, depression secondary to breast cancer, jaw/teeth pain, and PTSD. The Board found no evidence of service connection for any of these conditions.
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