The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The Veteran is not entitled to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his appendectomy scar, as the symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 7804.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for residuals of right ring finger dislocation was also denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of ankylosis or limitation of motion beyond what is already provided by the current non-compensable rating.,Service connection for degenerative joint disease secondary to residuals of right ring finger dislocation was not granted, as there is insufficient evidence to support this claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's appendectomy scar does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under DC 7804 due to its stable nature and lack of instability or pain.,There is no evidence of ankylosis or limitation of motion beyond what is already provided by the current non-compensable rating, thus preventing a compensable evaluation for residuals of right ring finger dislocation.,The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection was denied as there is insufficient evidence to support the assertion that his degenerative joint disease is related to his right ring finger disability.
- Claimed conditions
- appendectomy scar, degenerative joint disease (secondary to residuals of dislocated right ring finger)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2024
- Citation
- A24069241
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,164 · Granted: 31% (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 A24069241.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's appendectomy scar was aggravated by Agent Orange exposure or asbestos exposure during service. The appellant must be provided with a VA opinion to address these theories of aggravation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the need of personal care services, and his PCAFC request was denied. The Board finds that the AOJ did not provide proper notice and reasoning for the denial, and thus remands the case to obtain a new determination based on updated regulations.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date and a compensable rating for her appendectomy scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date prior to March 15, 2022, and also determined that a noncompensable rating was appropriate.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial compensable ratings, as well as service connection for various conditions, except for a scar related to a laminectomy which was granted with an effective date of March 22, 2021.
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