The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right hand fingers, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.
The deciding factor: The gap between the thumb pad and fingers was 0.8 cm at its worst, which does not meet the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation. The Veteran's symptoms were already being rated at the maximum noncompensable level or below, as no evidence demonstrated a gap of more than two inches (5.1 cm.) between the thumb pad and fingers.
- Claimed conditions
- Right thumb arthritis and joint contractures, Right index finger arthritis and joint contractures, Right long finger arthritis and joint contractures, Right ring finger arthritis and joint contractures, Right little finger arthritis and joint contractures
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24067472
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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