The Veteran's right hand scars were not service-connected prior to August 31, 2009.,Prior to April 9, 2014, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The effective date for the right hand scars was determined to be August 31, 2009 due to the surgery performed that day. For the TDIU claim, the evidence showed the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hand scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1707769
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1707769.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's PTSD and right hand conditions are rated at the maximum allowable under VA guidelines, with no further increases granted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for service-connected disabilities is granted. The initial increased rating and compensable rating claims for right hand scars are denied.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 23, 2007.
- Whole decision: Denied
The veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied as the evidence did not support a compensable rating for any of his service-connected conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various scars, or an increase in severity of PTSD.
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