The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected left wrist disability is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current nature and severity of his condition, including any additional diagnoses or flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The Veteran reported worsening symptoms since filing his claim in 2012 and had more problems with his wrist since then. The last VA examination was conducted in March 2013, and the Veteran's symptoms may have worsened since then.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist fracture
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20005363
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (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 20005363.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was denied, and the Board found that no effective date prior to May 30, 2019 is warranted.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left wrist disability, finding that it was presumed aggravated by service and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of its increase in severity due to natural progression.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for his left wrist fracture is granted at a 10 percent level, effective from the date of claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the AOJ's decision denying service connection for a left wrist disability was based on an inadequate medical opinion. The Veteran's current left wrist condition is related to his documented in-service injury, and a remand is required to obtain an adequate medical opinion.
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