The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to insufficient rationale in previous opinions and the need for additional medical examinations. The issues are left hand disorder, bilateral wrist radiculopathy, and bilateral ulnar nerve entrapment.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners failed to provide adequate rationale or address all relevant factors (such as old trauma records and service-connected conditions) when determining whether the Veteran's disorders were incurred in service or related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand disorder, bilateral wrist radiculopathy, bilateral ulnar nerve entrapment
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20023521
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 20023521.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding his claims for an increased disability evaluation for a right index finger scar and service connection for a left hand disorder due to withdrawal of these appeals by the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to notify the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing and then re-adjudicate the claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remand the case for further action.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to readjudicate his previously denied claim for service connection for a left hand disorder, and remanded the matter for further development.
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