The claim for a right pinky finger condition has been dismissed.,The claims for bilateral shoulder disability and residuals of frostbite of the left foot have been reopened, but are still pending as they were remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence related to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (current diagnosis) has been submitted, thus reopening the claims. However, these claims remain pending as a VA examination is required to determine if there is a link between service and current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right pinky finger condition, Bilateral shoulder disability, Residuals of frostbite of the left foot (previously claimed as frostbite of both feet), Low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2018
- Citation
- 18153988
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 18153988.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected low back disability alone does not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluation and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to address the severity of his low back disability, including whether he has experienced incapacitating episodes of IVDS.
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