The Board granted service connection for a left-hand disability, to include secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right index finger. The claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent prior to August 16, 2023 and a rating in excess of 40 percent from August 16, 2023 for lumbar degenerative disc disease were denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence was approximately balanced as to whether the Veteran's left-hand disability was caused by his service-connected right index finger. The criteria for an initial and increased rating for lumbar DDD were not met based on the severity of the condition at different times.
- Claimed conditions
- left-hand disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2025
- Citation
- 25004780
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for left-hand, right-hand, and left hip disabilities were granted, while the appeals for a right hip disability and left foot disability were denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the service connection claims for various disabilities and TDIU due to the need for additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, unspecified anxiety disorder, seborrheic dermatitis, and denied increased ratings for left shoulder disability, myalgia, left-hand disability, right-hand disability, right shoulder disability, kidney stones, plantar fasciitis, lung disability, actinic keratosis, and squamous cell carcinoma. The Board remanded service connection claims for several conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for bilateral tinnitus, ED, OSA, visual impairment, left-hand disability, and acquired psychiatric disability. However, it granted service connection for a back condition (lumbosacral strain) and remanded claims for other disabilities including right hand, left elbow, right elbow, and right knee.
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