The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of right hand injury is granted.,Service connection for residuals of right ring distal interphalangeal fracture and nail reconstruction is denied.,Service connection for a right ankle disorder is denied.,Service connection for a left ankle disorder is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current right hand disability, including loss of dexterity and decreased range of motion, began during active service and has continued since then. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current disorder was related to his in-service injury.,There is no evidence showing a fracture of the distal interphalangeal joint on the right ring finger during service. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not that the Veteran's residuals of right ring finger distal interphalangeal joint fracture and reconstructive fingernail surgeries were related to his period of service.,The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current ankle disorders had a specific etiology and diagnosis, and were not incurred in or related to his active service. The examiner noted a review of service treatment records and post-service treatment records.,There is no evidence showing an ankle injury during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's bilateral ankle disorder was less likely than not incurred in or related to his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of right hand injury, residuals of right ring finger injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19186530
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,062 · Granted: 34% (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 19186530.
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 motion for revision, on the basis of clear and unmistakable error, of the October 28, 2016, Rating Decision, which denied service connection for residuals of right hand injury.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of right hand injury, including carpal boss and neuritis. The decision is based on a finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current disability resulted from his active duty service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of right hand injury as the evidence did not support a finding that the current condition began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.
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