The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected right hand disability. This includes obtaining medical records, including those from a June 2000 work-related injury and any other relevant treatment since September 1999.
The deciding factor: The VA examination report provided in September 2003 is inadequate for rating purposes due to an incomplete medical history.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand injury, pyogenic infection of the right third metacarpal joint
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2004
- Citation
- 0418264
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 999 · 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 0418264.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for entitlement to left hip injury, right hip injury, and right hand injury was dismissed as these issues were not properly appealed. The remaining claims are remanded for further development.
- Granted
The veteran's PTSD rating was increased to 70% and service connection for a right hand injury secondary to PTSD was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lower back bulging disc L4-L5, broken left finger with misplaced bone, right ankle sprain, and right hand injury due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to be afforded VA examinations to determine if he has residuals from these conditions and whether they are at least as likely as not related to service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and rating for left foot condition, bilateral pes planus, right hand injury, and chronic headaches due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.
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