The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for his right thumb scar, a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 14, 2016 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter, and an earlier effective date for his service connection claim. The Veteran was found not to have met the criteria for these ratings or effective dates based on the evidence provided.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7802, as the scar measured less than 929 square centimeters. For the rating in excess of 10 percent prior to May 4, 2016 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter, the Veteran had only one painful scar that was not found to be unstable or non-linear. The earlier effective date claim was denied as there was no indication of a formal or informal claim for service connection prior to December 16, 2014.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18139419
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 18139419.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, right thumb disability, and right thumb scar but granted a 10% rating for the painful right thumb scar. The claims for increased initial ratings for bilateral wrist DeQuervain's syndrome and tendinitis were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the ratings for PTSD, TBI with neurocognitive disorder and vertigo, and a right thumb scar. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right hand thumb and finger disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder, IBS, Hemorrhoids, Right Thumb Scar, Right Ear Hearing Loss, and Tinnitus, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to January 15, 2020. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.
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