The Board has remanded the case due to failure to provide a VA examination for service connection of a bilateral thumb condition. The Veteran's representative argues that he was unable to attend the scheduled examinations due to military orders, and the matter is again remanded to afford the Veteran an opportunity to present for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations and thus the case must be remanded to provide another opportunity for a VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral thumb condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20057391
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 20057391.
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 various conditions, including a back condition, knee conditions, headaches, and others, as the evidence did not demonstrate that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service, ADT, or IDT.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for PTSD, hypertension secondary to PTSD, bilateral knee conditions, low back condition, bilateral thumb condition, cervicothoracic spine condition, right upper extremity radiculopathy, headaches (claimed as cephalgia), and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for tinnitus was denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure. The left knee, bilateral thumb condition, low back condition, and left foot condition are all remanded for further examination and opinion. Service connection for GERD is also remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral thumb condition is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.
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