The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.
The deciding factor: The current evidence is insufficient to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral wrist disabilities, as well as her cervical spine and upper extremity radiculopathy. Additionally, there is a lack of recent VA examination records that are necessary to assess the severity of these service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cervical Degenerative Joint Disease with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome, Thoracic Spine Strain with Intervertebral Disc Syndrome, Cervical Radiculopathy, Left Upper Extremity, Cervical Radiculopathy, Right Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 21, 2019
- Citation
- 19148711
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (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 19148711.
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 Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity, status post carpal tunnel release is granted an initial rating of 60 percent. Service connection for right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is also granted.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted effective dates for TDIU, SMC, and DEA based on his service-connected conditions. The Board also determined that the Veteran's PTSD alone warrants a TDIU prior to May 31, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) decision denying the Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is inadequate due to insufficient reasoning. The appeal is being remanded to obtain a more detailed medical opinion addressing the Veteran's need for personal care services, supervision, and protection.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for higher ratings and separate ratings for neuralgia and neuritis for her service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of mild, moderate, or severe incomplete paralysis of the median nerve, which would warrant higher disability ratings.
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