The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases for discounting the Veteran's lay assertions of unemployability, as well as insufficient discussion on why he is capable of substantially gainful employment. An updated VA examination is needed to assess the current severity and functional impact of his right ulnar neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an updated VA examination was necessary due to inadequate reasons and bases for discounting the Veteran's lay assertions of unemployability, as well as insufficient discussion on why he is capable of substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- right wrist osteoarthritis, right ulnar neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19159953
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,592 · Granted: 19% (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 19159953.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a duty to assist error occurred and remands the case for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's diagnosed right ulnar neuropathy is etiologically related to his active service, including conceded in-service exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 13, 2023 for service connection of right wrist condition and right ulnar neuropathy as these conditions were not shown to have been present before the receipt of his supplemental claim on that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis secondary to his right wrist injury during active duty is being remanded due to a lack of sufficient rationale in the January 2024 VA examination.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right and left ulnar neuropathy, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between these conditions and either in-service injury or a service-connected disability.
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