The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a change in legal precedent regarding aggravation. The Veteran's right hand disabilities need further examination to determine if they are directly related to his military service, including an accident that caused his already service-connected right forearm scar.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the inadequacy of previous medical opinions and a recent court ruling changing the definition of aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand strain, carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004158
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 remands the claim for a left upper extremity condition, claimed as a left shoulder condition, to schedule a VA examination and obtain an opinion on whether the condition is related to service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right wrist condition, to include carpal tunnel syndrome, based on the Veteran's credible reports of pain and weakness since service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including fatigue, bilateral eye disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, GERD, penile condition, left foot disability, and others. Some claims were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae and granted a 20 percent rating for left and right lower extremity sciatic radiculopathy, while denying service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, insomnia, neck strain, shoulder strain, and sleep apnea.
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