The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected left thumb injury is remanded due to the passage of time since the last examination and the Veteran's report of worsening symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported worsening symptoms since the last VA examination, necessitating a new evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a left thumb injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19110222
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19110222.
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.
- Partly granted
The veteran is granted a 10% rating for residuals of a left thumb injury from December 19, 2014 to January 23, 2023. The issues of service connection for bilateral ankle disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded for further evaluation.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection and assigned a 70 percent rating effective September 8, 2009. The Veteran is also entitled to an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease from September 18, 2009.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left thumb injury due to her failure to provide necessary medical records within one year after being requested.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left thumb and left wrist injuries were granted in full by the RO in February 2011, making these issues moot.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.