The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent rating for his right middle finger disability is being remanded. The issue of whether there was clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the May 1981, May 1982, August 1983 and August 1984 rating decisions is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The earlier effective date claim is being remanded due to the presence of an intertwined CUE issue.
- Claimed conditions
- dermal fibrosis, middle finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18102653
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 18102653.
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 claims for increased ratings for his service-connected middle finger disability, migraine headaches, and asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional development of VA treatment records.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's dermal fibrosis and PTSD have been granted service connection, with a rating of 70% for PTSD. The case is remanded for further development regarding TDIU.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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