Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Remanded (sent back)

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for service-connected Crohn's Disease and an initial (compensable) rating for service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right thumb, residual fracture. The RO is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records from Dr. Sator and Dr. Frediman Jones, schedule the veteran for a VA examination regarding his Crohn's Disease and degenerative joint disease of the right thumb, and re-adjudicate the claims.

The deciding factor: The Board has determined that additional development is needed due to incomplete medical records and the need for new examinations based on revised diagnostic codes.

Claimed conditions
Crohn's Disease, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Right Thumb, Residual Fracture
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
March 17, 2004
Citation
0406969

Veterans Law Judge

G.H. Shufelt

Decisions by this judge: 673 · Granted: 27% (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 0406969.

What this means for you

A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.

This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.