The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and evaluations. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for right small finger fracture and service connection for respiratory symptoms, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness are both pending.
The deciding factor: The decision requires further evaluation by a VA examiner to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory condition and whether it is related to his military service or any other relevant factors.
- Claimed conditions
- Right small (5th) finger fracture, Respiratory symptoms
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19151270
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,249 · Granted: 37% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19151270.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for PTSD and remanded claims for service connection for chronic fatigue and respiratory symptoms.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed TB with residuals. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his current respiratory symptoms are related to service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral knee pain, muscle fasciculations, and respiratory symptoms are granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. Service connection is also granted for lumbar and cervical spine conditions on a direct basis.
- Whole decision: Granted
The veteran's service-connected undiagnosed illness resulting from his Persian Gulf War service includes fatigue, rash over the face and hands, joint pain (fibromyalgia), and respiratory symptoms. His claim for increased ratings is also granted.
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