The Board has ordered a new VA examination to address the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity disability and its relationship to his service-connected cervical strain with degenerative disc disease. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to provide any pertinent VA or non-VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination did not adequately address the impact of the Veteran's service-connected cervical strain on his current bilateral upper extremity disability, as required by the Board's December 2012 remand directives.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral upper extremity disability, bilateral hand disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2014
- Citation
- 1438700
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 1438700.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are remanded due to procedural errors in the adjudication process. The claims will be reconsidered with additional evidence and a thorough review of all relevant medical records.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hand disability, including exertional paresthesias and carpal tunnel syndrome, is granted as service-connected. The decision also remands the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation benefits was denied because his bilateral lower extremity disability does not result in loss of use that precludes locomotion without the regular and constant use of an assistive device, and his bilateral upper extremity disability has not resulted in loss of use of both hands.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a bilateral hand disability, an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for TBI with migraine, and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD due to duty-to-assist errors.
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