The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right hand disability and bilateral foot disability due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examinations. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these disabilities.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiners did not adequately address all relevant evidence, including STRs that indicated possible improperly healed bones from a laceration injury and foot numbness during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Hand Disability, Bilateral Foot Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2020
- Citation
- 20065866
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 sinusitis, TBI, obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral foot disability as the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities related to in-service events or exposures.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD and remanded claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, bilateral foot, left ankle, right ankle, and cervical spine disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right knee, right foot/ankle, left hand, and right hand disabilities to correct a duty to assist error by obtaining new VA examinations and opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including OSA and hypertension, due to inadequate medical opinions.
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