The Board denied service connection for left middle finger and right little finger disabilities, as well as a compensable initial rating for esophageal reflux. The Veteran's current symptoms do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.,For the knee strain with degenerative arthritis, the Board denied staged initial ratings in excess of 10 percent prior to November 13, 2019 and in excess of 10 percent from that date.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no evidence supporting a direct service connection for the Veteran's current finger disabilities or esophageal reflux. The symptoms reported by the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.
- Claimed conditions
- left middle finger disability, right little finger disability, esophageal reflux, right shoulder degenerative joint
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20047250
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 20047250.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left middle finger, right hand (including right middle finger), left arm, and upper back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of chronicity in service or within the applicable presumptive period.,The Veteran's right little finger disability does not warrant a compensable rating, as it is rated at noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 5230.,The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent and no higher due to lack of evidence showing diastolic pressure predominantly measuring 110 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly measuring 200 or more.,The Veteran's mitral valve insufficiency warrants a 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7000 based on heart failure symptoms at a workload greater than 7.0 METs.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hammer toe and an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as the increased rating for a right eye disability. The Veteran's rhinitis, acne, right little finger disability, and right hand scar disabilities are all rated at their maximum allowable under current criteria.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for higher ratings and TDIU due to incomplete VA examinations.
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