The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left arm disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his current disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence in the record to determine whether the Veteran’s current left arm disabilities are related to his military service, necessitating further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm disability, degenerative joint disease of the left elbow, left ulnar neuropathy, left hand dystonia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19196173
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,036 · Granted: 27% (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 19196173.
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 service connection for right shoulder degenerative arthritis is granted. The claims for higher ratings for bilateral pes cavus, left ankle impingement, and left knee disability are remanded due to the need for additional evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, left arm, and right knee disabilities have been granted due to new evidence presented. The cases are being remanded for further examination and rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, and left arm disability due to conflicting evidence in his treatment records. The case is sent back for further examination and opinion from an appropriate clinician.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a left arm disability and blurred vision have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various foot, knee, hip, back, neck, and headache disabilities are being remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.