The Board has decided that the Veteran's right arm carpal tunnel syndrome is secondary to his service-connected status post fracture of the right forearm and remanded for further action.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s carpal tunnel syndrome was caused or aggravated by his service-connected status post fracture of the right forearm, as required by El-Amin v. Shinseki, 26 Vet. App. 136 (2013).
- Claimed conditions
- right arm carpal tunnel syndrome, status post fracture of the right forearm
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20002531
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 an esophageal disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, left arm carpal tunnel syndrome, and right arm carpal tunnel syndrome as there was no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions during the pendency of the claim. The claim for migraines was remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher ratings for lumbosacral strain, right and left arm carpal tunnel syndrome, and migraines prior to March 22, 2023, but granted a 50 percent rating for migraines effective from that date. The Board also denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for sciatic radiculopathy and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a TBI and OSA were denied. The claim for right arm carpal tunnel syndrome, effective dates for peripheral neuropathy, and reimbursement of medical expenses were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion on whether plantar fasciitis was aggravated by active duty training.
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