Losing an arm, a hand, or a finger sets a person up for a series of life-altering challenges. If the loss happened during military service, a veteran faces the additional burden of applying for VA disability benefits and the possibility the VA will deny the claim.
This article will explain VA loss of limb compensation starting with VA disability benefits for the loss of an arm, a hand, or fingers. We will also cover other VA benefits related to losing a limb including special monthly compensation, total disability individual unemployability (TDIU), and permanent and total disability (P&T).
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(812) 426-7200
In this article about VA disability for losing an arm:
Amputations during military service
Active-duty service members face a number of risks in combat and non-combat situations that can lead to traumatic injuries. The dangers range from IEDs, RPGs, and small arms fire to accidents while driving multi-ton vehicles and unloading cargo.
Some of those injuries, unfortunately, result in amputation, which often leads to lasting phantom pain in the missing limb and to permanent pain or numbness around the affected area.
Nearly half of all extremity trauma in recent conflicts in the Global War on Terror were severe arm injuries, according to a 2019 article in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
VA disability ratings for losing an arm, hand, or fingers
A 2019 survey of veterans with upper limb amputations found that 35% lost all or part of an arm in combat.
The survey of 808 veterans found that 9% of the amputees lost their entire arm (at the shoulder), 30% above the elbow, and 36% below the elbow. Sixteen percent lost their hand (at the wrist).
VA disability for losing arms or hands
Military amputees who have lost both arms or both hands in service will receive a 100% disability rating.
The rating for amputation of the dominant hand is 70%. It is 60% for the non-dominant hand.
The VA disability ratings for loss of one arm are outlined in the chart below.
| Description/Diagnostic Code | Disability Rating |
|---|---|
| Complete amputation (5120) Forequarter amputation (humerus bone and any portion of the scapula, clavicle, and/or ribs) Humerus bone only | 100% 90% |
| Upper arm amputation Above insertion of deltoid muscle (5121) Below insertion of deltoid muscle (5122) | 90% dominant arm 80% non-dominant arm 80% dominant arm 70% non-dominant arm |
| Forearm amputation Above insertion of pronator teres muscle (5123) Below insertion of pronator teres muscle (5124) | 80% dominant arm 70% non-dominant arm 70% dominant arm 60% non-dominant arm |
VA disability rating for losing fingers
The ratings for fingers are based on the number of fingers, which hand, and whether the thumb was lost. The ratings are for fingers lost on the same hand.
| Description/Diagnostic Code | Disability Rating |
|---|---|
| Five fingers one hand (5126) Four fingers including thumb (5127-5130) | 70% dominant hand 60% non-dominant hand |
| Four fingers but not thumb (5131) Three fingers including thumb (5132-5137) | 60% dominant hand 50% non-dominant hand |
| Three fingers but not thumb (5138-5140) Two fingers including thumb (5142-5145) | 50% dominant hand 40% non-dominant hand |
| Three fingers but not thumb or index (5141) Index and long fingers (5146) Index and ring fingers (5147) Index and little fingers (5148) | 40% dominant hand 30% non-dominant hand |
| Long and ring fingers (5149) Long and little fingers (5150) Ring and little fingers (5151) | 30% dominant hand 20% non-dominant hand |
VA disability ratings for one finger
The loss of a single finger or part of a finger in relation to service also qualifies for disability benefits.
The disability ratings table is often challenging to understand because it uses medical terms to describe the bones and joints in the fingers. We have included a diagram of a hand to help.
A finger has three joints: distal (the top), middle, and metacarpophalangeal, which you may know as your knuckle. The bones of the finger include the distal phalanx (tip of the finger), middle phalanx, proximal phalanx (lower part of the finger), and the metacarpal (the bones in your hand between your knuckle and your wrist).
Here are the ratings for losing a single finger:
| Description/Diagnostic Code | Disability Rating |
|---|---|
| Thumb (5152) With metacarpal resection At metacarpophalangeal joint or through proximal phalanx At distal joint or through distal phalanx | 40% dominant hand 30% non-dominant hand 30% dominant hand 20% non-dominant hand 30% dominant hand 20% non-dominant hand |
| Index finger (5153) With metacarpal resection (more than half the bone lost) Without metacarpal resection, at proximal interphalangeal joint or proximal thereto Through middle phalanx or at distal joint | 30% dominant hand 20% non-dominant hand 20% dominant hand or non-dominant hand 10% dominant hand or non-dominant hand |
| Long finger (5154), Ring finger (5155), Little finger (5156) With metacarpal resection (more than half the bone lost) Without metacarpal resection, at proximal interphalangeal joint or proximal thereto | 20% dominant hand or non-dominant hand 10% dominant hand or non-dominant hand |
What is the Amputation Rule?
One point to note is the VA’s amputation rule, which says if you have injuries to your arm but haven’t lost the arm, the disability ratings for the arm cannot exceed the value of an amputation rating.
For example, if you have ratings for a finger, wrist, and forearm on the same arm, your combined rating cannot exceed the value of an arm amputation at the elbow level.
Does losing an arm or a hand qualify for other VA benefits?
Special monthly compensation
You are eligible for special monthly compensation (SMC) for losing one or both arms or hands or for losing the use of your arms or hands if your injury is connected to your military service.
SMC is an extra compensation added to your monthly disability benefits.
The VA will determine the SMC amount by considering the following:
- How many appendages were lost?
- What is the remaining function of the arm or hand?
- Could the person grasp or manipulate with a prosthesis?
Individual unemployability
An amputation can seriously affect a person’s ability to earn a living.
If your amputation makes it impossible for you to do your job, then you should be receiving some level of VA benefits including total disability individual unemployability (TDIU).
Disabled veterans who were injured during military service and who can’t maintain gainful employment are eligible for TDIU benefits, which are paid at the same level of a 100% disability rating. The qualifications are that the vet must have at least a 60% rating for a single disability, or if the person has more than one disability, a combined rating of 70% with one of the conditions rated at least at 40%.
Even if you do not currently meet these rating levels, you may be able to obtain what is known as extraschedular TDIU, which is a set of special rules that can be used to connect several smaller ratings to a common event.
For example: If you were involved in an IED blast on deployment and lost a finger as well as hearing loss, a traumatic brain injury, a cervical spine strain, and lost a finger, even if none of those ratings are individually equal to 40%, they could combine to meet the 70/40 rule for TDIU consideration. If you have questions about how to accomplish this, we recommend contacting a VA disability lawyer.
Permanent and total disability
The VA is required to award permanent total disability (P&T) for the loss of or the loss of use of both hands or of one hand and one foot–under the condition that the losses are service-connected. Although other disability combinations can get you a P&T finding, the focus of this article is on lost limbs.
P&T means that a veteran’s injuries are rated at 100% and are not expected to improve, which is a certainty in an amputee’s claim. Unlike regular disability benefits, a permanent rating is not subject to a re-evaluation or reduction because it is not expected to improve.
Loss of use of an arm or hand
A veteran who hasn’t lost an arm or a hand to amputation can experience the loss of use of an upper appendage related to their military service.
As stated earlier, the loss of use of both hands (diagnostic code 5109) is rated at 100%. The loss of use of one hand (5125) is rated at 70% for the dominant hand and 60% for the non-dominant.
A veteran who loses the use of one hand and one foot (5111) will receive a rating of 100%.
Does surgery affect VA disability?
Military amputees recovering after a recent surgery at VA hospitals and VA regional amputation centers can apply for VA amputee benefits as long as their condition is service-connected.
Suppose you’ve recently undergone surgery at a VA hospital or VA regional amputation center as the result of a service-connected injury. In that case, you might be eligible to receive temporary disability rating after surgery if your surgery involved a recovery time of one month or more and:
- Your surgical wounds haven’t yet healed, or they’re not healing correctly.
- You have a stump as the result of a recent amputation.
- You require a splint or cast to facilitate proper healing.
- You are or have been confined to your house as a result of surgery.
- You are required to use crutches or a wheelchair for mobility.
The benefits of temporary disability rating after surgery include healthcare coverage, compensation for living expenses during recovery, a temporary disability rating of 100%.
File a claim for VA disability benefits
If you’ve recently lost a finger or limb through a service-connected incident and need help filing your claim, we will help with your initial filing at no charge.
If you’ve been denied VA amputee benefits, we can help you appeal the decision, and we won’t collect a fee until we win your case.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
Military amputees who have lost both arms or both hands in service will receive a 100% disability rating. They may also be eligible for individual unemployability, permanent and total disability, and special monthly compensation.
The ratings for fingers are based on the number of fingers, which hand, and whether the thumb was lost. The ratings are for fingers lost on the same hand.
