The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to attempt to obtain private treatment records. The claims for increased ratings, service connection, and other issues are pending.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not been provided with a full examination to determine whether he has residual injuries other than the deformity and degenerative joint disease of the fifth metacarpal and the scar between his second and third fingers, to include a nerve injury. Further, the examiner did not provide an opinion as to whether his service-connected disabilities aggravated his claimed right and left hand, wrist, and elbow disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- right fifth metacarpal fracture with slight deformity and degenerative changes, laceration to the right hand between the ring and middle fingers, left hand disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, bilateral radial sensory neuropathy and/or carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral nerve entrapment
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2015
- Citation
- 1535080
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 1535080.
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 Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding his claims for an increased disability evaluation for a right index finger scar and service connection for a left hand disorder due to withdrawal of these appeals by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to notify the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing and then re-adjudicate the claims.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hip disorders due to a lack of current diagnoses in the medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remand the case for further action.
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