The Veteran's claim for service connection is reopened and left foot hammer toes are granted. The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hand disability and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the Veteran’s in-service stressors or provide an opinion on their validity, which is required for a diagnosis of PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand arthritis, arthritis, aching in hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20067906
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 appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hand arthritis, right and left hand pain, and lumbosacral strain as there was no evidence of current disability or in-service injury, disease, or event.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hand and elbow arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.