The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings have been denied as her arthritis of the thumbs, index fingers, long fingers, ring fingers, and little fingers do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes. The Veteran's arthritis of the right knee and feet were also found to not warrant an increase in rating.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome has been remanded.
The deciding factor: The objective evidence does not support findings that would warrant a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes. The Veteran's arthritis of the thumbs, index fingers, long fingers, ring fingers, and little fingers do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome has been remanded as there is insufficient information to determine if it should be granted.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the left foot, Arthritis of the left index finger, Arthritis of the left knee, Arthritis of the left little finger, Arthritis of the left long finger, Arthritis of the left ring finger, Arthritis of the left thumb, Arthritis of the right foot, Arthritis of the right index finger, Arthritis of the right knee, Arthritis of the right little finger, Arthritis of the right long finger, Arthritis of the right ring finger, Arthritis of the right thumb
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19115037
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,287 · Granted: 23% (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 19115037.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the lumbar spine, right ankle, left ankle, and left foot on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and clarification regarding the severity of the Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities, specifically to determine if the Veteran has experienced 'the functional equivalent of range of motion loss contemplated by the next higher rating' at any point during the appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, and bilateral tinnitus. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied. Other claims were either granted or remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and a right knee disability, finding that the Veteran's arthritis of both knees is not related to an injury or disease incurred in active service and has not been caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.
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