The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a left hand disability and lumbar spine disability due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are currently considered direct service connection cases.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran’s allegations of in-service injury and his post-service treatment records, leading to a lack of clarity on whether the disabilities were incurred or aggravated by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Hand Disability, Lumbar Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20066385
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 the Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability, both before and after November 8, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and erectile dysfunction, but denied service connection for headaches, left hand disability, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, right foot disability, right arm/shoulder disability, diabetes, and individual unemployability. The claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder was granted.
- Denied
The Board denied initial disability ratings in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and 30 percent for COPD with asthma. The claims for service connection for various disabilities were remanded.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.