The Veteran's initial claim for a 10% rating for his service-connected left index finger contracture is granted. Service connection for left ear hearing loss is also granted, but right ear hearing loss and other conditions are denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s left index finger disability was found to have noncompensable limitation of motion without actual or compensable limitation of function due to pain. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss existed prior to service and was aggravated by in-service noise exposure, meeting the criteria for service connection under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Contracture of the left second (index) finger, Left ear hearing loss, Right ear hearing loss, Left knee disability, Right knee disability, Left shoulder disability, Back disability, Right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118148
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,319 · Granted: 25% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19118148.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a back disability due to incomplete service records and failure to consider all available evidence, including in-service treatment records from F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
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