The Board denied service connection for a left index finger disability because the injury occurred during state active duty, not federalized National Guard service.
The deciding factor: The injury was incurred during state active duty under Florida law and not in federalized National Guard service as required by VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- left index finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 31, 2019
- Citation
- 19197100
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 19197100.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple orthopedic disabilities related to injuries sustained while wrestling in service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as remanded a claim for further development.
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