The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial compensable rating for his service-connected right hand disabilities due to inadequate VA examination findings. The Veteran is also required to provide updated treatment records, complete a VA Form 21-8940, and undergo a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found the June 2017 VA examination inadequate as it did not meet the requirements of Sharp v. Shulkin (2017) for assessing additional range-of-motion loss due to repetitive use over time and flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a right fifth metacarpal joint fracture, right hand painful scars, right-hand scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20030026
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 20030026.
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 denied a compensable rating for right-hand scars and remanded the claims for service connection for a cervical condition and right upper extremity radiculopathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right finger amputation, a right-hand disability (also claimed as joint pains), right ulnar peripheral neuropathy, and right-hand scars. The claim for depression is remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and/or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to issues with scheduling an examination and obtaining employment history.
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