The Veteran seeks service connection for residuals of a laceration to his left index finger, which he claims occurred in service. The Board finds that additional development is needed due to the absence of almost all of the Veteran's service treatment records and requests for these records be made.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish service connection for residuals from a laceration to his left index finger, as the STRs are missing. The Board finds that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current disability is related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- laceration to the index finger of the left hand, scar, numbness, restriction of movement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 14, 2014
- Citation
- 1416400
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 1416400.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability of numbness, tingling, and pain in the left lower extremity is granted as service connected.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for a scar, residual of a cyst removed from the groin area is dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar spine disability is denied. A 20 percent disability rating, but no higher, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied. A 10 percent disability rating, but no higher, is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for otitis media of the right ear is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating for chest wall muscle spasm, claimed as costochondritis, is granted with a 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent for right ankle disability remains pending.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for malignant myeloma and scar secondary to his service-connected malignant melanoma were denied. However, the Veteran was granted service connection for his service-connected malignant melanoma.
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