The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination for determining the severity of the Veteran's right middle finger disability. The RO should obtain an adequate VA examination that addresses full range of motion testing, pain during testing, and additional impairment in connection with flare-ups or repetitive use over time.
The deciding factor: The examination provided by the VA was deemed insufficient due to lack of detail regarding range of motion measurements and functional loss during flare-ups or after repetitive use over time.
- Claimed conditions
- Right middle finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20028442
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 20028442.
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 all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability in accordance with VA standards.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to the VA's failure to obtain relevant private treatment records. The appellant is entitled to a compensable disability rating for his right middle finger disability and service connection for hypertension, but these claims must be returned to the AOJ for additional efforts to locate the necessary medical evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found a pre-decisional error and has ordered the case to be remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right middle finger disability is related to his military service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right middle finger disability was caused by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill or similar instance of fault on the part of VA in furnishing treatment. As a result, the Veteran is entitled to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for this condition.
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