The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected left fifth finger disability, finding that the highest schedular rating available did not adequately describe or compensate for his disability. The decision also noted that extraschedular consideration was not warranted.
The deciding factor: The criteria in the Rating Schedule reasonably described and compensated for the Veteran's disability level and symptomatology, including limited motion, pain, and difficulty gripping due to his disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left fifth finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20062753
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20062753.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all claims as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's left fourth and fifth finger disabilities are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service-connected left wrist disability.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further action due to new evidence received after the initial decisions.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable rating for left fifth finger disability.,There is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and the Veteran's left fifth finger disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
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