The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the Veteran's right wrist and bilateral foot conditions, as his service treatment records are unavailable due to a fire at the National Personnel Records Center. The appeal for these issues is REMANDED.
The deciding factor: VA's duty to assist requires providing an examination or obtaining an opinion when necessary to make a decision on the claim, given that the Veteran's service treatment records are lost and his claims involve medical diagnoses and etiology opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right wrist condition, Bilateral foot condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2018
- Citation
- 1801238
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1801238.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for light sensitivity is granted. The claims for service connection for bilateral knee strain and bilateral foot condition are remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for both the right and left wrist conditions, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support the Veteran's claims.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's temporary total rating for convalescence following his February 2020 ulnar nerve surgery is granted due to the need for at least one month of post-operative convalescence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist condition as secondary to his service-connected left wrist condition, finding that there is at least as likely as not that the right wrist condition is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected left wrist condition.
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