The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of lacerations to the left index finger and hand (scars) and residuals of a bullet wound to the low back (scar) have been granted. The lung disorder other than left upper lung adenocarcinoma claim has not been met.,A rating higher than 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 12, 2019, and a rating higher than 40 percent thereafter have also been denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided competent and credible testimony regarding his in-service injuries resulting in scars on his left hand, index finger, and low back. The VA examiner found the scars to be less likely related to service due to lack of documentation in service records. However, given the Veteran's lay statements and testimony under oath, the Board finds that there is a nexus between the current disabilities and service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of lacerations to the left index finger and the left hand (scars), residuals of a bullet wound to the low back (scar), lung disorder other than left upper lung adenocarcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20074975
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,569 · Granted: 26% (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 20074975.
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
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