The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected laceration of the left ring finger was granted, but he is still denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his scar. The Board found that there were no ankylosis or doctor-prescribed bed rest issues and concluded that the preponderance of evidence supported a 10 percent rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left ring finger disability was rated based on limitation of motion, while his scar was rated under Diagnostic Code 7804 for painful scars. The VA examiners did not find any unstable or painful scars warranting higher ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- laceration of the left ring finger, degenerative arthritis of the left ring finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20076476
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 20076476.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected residuals of a laceration of the left ring finger, finding that there was no evidence of ankylosis or amputation and that the current noncompensable rating accurately reflects the severity of the condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for cervical and lumbar spine conditions were denied. The initial compensable rating claim for residuals of a laceration of the left ring finger was also denied.
- Granted
The Board finds that the appellant has a scar on his left ring finger as a result of an in-service laceration, and thus service connection is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service records and private treatment records. The appellant's claims for service connection will be readjudicated after these actions.
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