The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's claimed hand disabilities. The examiner should address whether any diagnosed symptoms in either hand are manifestations of his service-connected diabetic neuropathy and if they had their onset in service or are causally related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the rationale provided by the VA examiner was insufficient, particularly regarding the lack of evidence of frostbite in the Veteran's service treatment records. The Board also noted an internal inconsistency between the examiner's findings and conclusions.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite of the right hand, residuals of frostbite of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2017
- Citation
- 1759188
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 1759188.
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 Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of his left hand is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an opinion addressing the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected frostbite residuals of the hands and feet are being remanded for further evaluation as his symptoms have worsened since the last examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, kidney transplant and residuals thereof, neck artery disability, leg bypass surgery and residuals thereof, left leg to right leg artery transplant and residuals thereof, and frostbite of hands and feet. The Veteran's service records are unavailable due to a fire, but VA must assist in the development of his claim.
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