The Board has determined that the Veteran's right thumb disorder, which resulted from a fall in service and subsequent trigger release surgery, was incurred during his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA physician found the Veteran to be credible and opined that it was at least as likely as not that he injured his right thumb when he sprained his right elbow in service in 1987.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Disorder, Right Elbow Injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1421954
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 1421954.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder and cannabis use was granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent. Other service connection claims were denied or remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's right thumb disorder, finding that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating based on current medical evidence. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as potential SSA disability benefits records. The RO must associate these records with the claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's right elbow injury on March 7, 2013 was considered a medical emergency due to severe pain and concern for an elbow fracture. The nearest VA facilities were not feasibly available during the emergency, and seeking treatment at a local ER or urgent care center would have been reasonable.
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