The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right index finger injury, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury and insufficient medical opinion to establish a nexus between his current disability and military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s current right index finger disability did not have its onset during or within one year after service, and there was no competent medical evidence linking it to an in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a right index finger injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20007467
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal in its entirety, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review the appeal.
- Granted
The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the appellant's right index finger injury was incurred during his active service, and grants service connection for the residuals of a right index finger injury.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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