The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left middle finger is remanded due to a duty to assist error. A VA examination is needed to assess the severity of his disability and whether joint pain might result in limited motion.
The deciding factor: There was a duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's reported arthritic joint pain in his left middle finger, which may affect the rating assigned.
- Claimed conditions
- left middle finger
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- A20016279
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
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