The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand and left foot require additional development due to inadequate or incomplete VA examinations. The cases are being remanded for further examination and evaluation.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examinations did not comply with the June 2018 Board remand directives, which required range of motion measurements during flare-ups and repeated use over time.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand, rheumatoid arthritis of the left foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20057347
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 20057347.
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 remands the claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of various body parts due to in-service exposure to hazardous materials, as an addendum opinion is needed.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of the cervical spine was granted a 20 percent rating from December 8, 2021, to October 12, 2022, while other claims for increased ratings were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the left hand and right hand have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of these claims.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal is denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of the left (minor) elbow, prior to July 24, 2020; and for rheumatoid arthritis of the right (major) elbow, since July 24, 2020. The appeal is also denied for evaluations in excess of 10 percent for rheumatoid arthritis of other joints including left shoulder, wrist, foot, knee, ankle, hip.
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