BVA decisions by condition
Finger impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a finger impairment issue in 875 decisions. It granted the finger impairment issue in 17.0% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 45.6%, and remanded it in 37.8%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 27.2% were granted.
Decisions
875
2017–2026
Granted
17.0%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
27.2%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
37.8%
Denied: 45.6%
Finger impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 16.5% | 54.9% | 27.5% | 1.1% |
| 2020 | 161 | 11.8% | 52.2% | 35.4% | 0.6% |
| 2021 | 201 | 14.4% | 50.7% | 33.3% | 1.5% |
| 2022 | 141 | 14.2% | 44.0% | 40.4% | 1.4% |
| 2023 | 181 | 13.8% | 39.8% | 41.4% | 5.0% |
| 2024 | 140 | 17.9% | 45.7% | 35.7% | 0.7% |
| 2025 | 174 | 18.4% | 47.7% | 33.3% | 0.6% |
| 2026 | 60 | 21.7% | 58.3% | 20.0% | 0.0% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied finger impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the finger impairment issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable VA exam | 110 | 52.2% | 22.1% | +30.0 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 87 | 50.0% | 23.8% | +26.2 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 172 | 34.2% | 25.3% | +8.9 pts |
| Lay statement | 750 | 27.1% | 27.9% | −0.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 63.1% of the decisions that granted finger impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 45.0% of grants and 14.8% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often finger impairment was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 371 | 31.3% | 23.9% | +7.3 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 717 | 26.3% | 33.9% | −7.5 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied finger impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established21
- Already at the maximum schedular rating6
- Criteria for 10 percent rating met4
- In-service injury documented2
Most common reasons in denials
- Already at the maximum schedular rating63
- No current diagnosis29
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim23
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service16
- Service records negative or silent15
- Current diagnosis established12
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis7
- No evidence of ankylosis6
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent finger impairment decisions
Granted
No actual improvement in disability; No actual improvement in ability to function under ordinary conditions; Painful motion documented in prior exams; Veteran's testimony credible
Diagnosis of status post right 5th phalange PIP joint fusion with limitation of motion conceded.; In-service onset of right finger disability conceded.; February and April 2021 VA opinions found inadequate for failing to consider Veteran's statements and misdating injury.; March 2025 private opinion found probative, linking current disability to in-service injuries and noting continuity of symptoms.; Nexus established based on probative private opinion.
Favorable finding of ankylosis conceded by RO; Veteran credible regarding in-service injury and continuity of symptoms; VA examiner's negative opinion inadequate due to reliance on absence of STR documentation
Denied
No current disability established; No continuity of symptomatology; No functional impairment of earning capacity
Already receiving maximum rating under DC 5230; DC 5230 does not provide compensable rating for painful motion alone; No alternative diagnostic codes applicable for higher rating
10% rating granted as of May 5, 2021; Criteria for higher rating not met
Rules that apply to finger impairment claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your finger impairment case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a finger impairment issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.