The Board dismissed the issues of proposed severance for various finger disabilities due to procedural confusion and lack of a final rating decision.
The deciding factor: The July 2020 rating decision proposing severance was not a final decision, leading to dismissal of the appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Right long finger disability, Left index finger disability, Right index finger disability, Left ring finger disability, Right little finger disability, Right ring finger disability, Left long finger disability, Left thumb finger disability, Right thumb finger disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 29, 2024
- Citation
- A24015284
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 A24015284.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's hair loss and some other conditions are granted service connection, while the right hand disability is denied. The Veteran also has a new rating for his low back condition.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a right little finger disability and remanded the claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability due to incomplete records.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran was not unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 1, 2017 due to his service-connected right little finger disability. The evidence showed he had multiple nonservice-connected disabilities and occasional right hand impairment but could still perform employment duties.
- Denied
The Veteran's right long finger disability is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5229.,The Veteran's right ring finger disability is currently rated at noncompensable (zero percent), which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5230.,The scars on the neck and upper back area are not productive of visible or palpable tissue loss, gross distortion, or asymmetry. Therefore, they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7800.
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