The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right thumb, left hand ring finger, and left foot disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing current disability or etiology from in-service events. The PTSD claim is being remanded as there are indications it may be related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran's current conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- right thumb disability, left hand ring finger disability, left foot injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19132243
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including gastrointestinal issues, foot problems, ED, hemorrhoids, hernia, hypertension, nerve conditions in the lower extremities, shoulder and thumb issues, except for right ear hearing loss which was granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a new examination to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically regarding the evaluation of the Veteran's right thumb disability.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal was dismissed as the Board Appeal request was not timely filed.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, major depressive disorder, alcohol use disorder, and cannabis use disorder, lumbosacral strain, right elbow burn scars, pseudofolliculitis barbae, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, low testosterone, and left knee disability. However, service connection was granted for TBI, left forehead scar, and left arm scars.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.