The Veteran's right hand sprain is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to assess the severity of his condition, as the previous one was inadequate and did not account for flare-ups or repetitive use.
The deciding factor: The prior VA examination was insufficient due to its inability to determine functional loss during flare-ups or after repetitive use over time, which is required by law in such cases.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hand sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20069799
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 a bilateral hip disability, right hand sprain, back DJD, neck DJD, bilateral knee DJD, bilateral foot pain, DM II, and OSA as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a nexus to service.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right hamstring strain, left hip impingement syndrome with degenerative arthritis and bursitis, allergic rhinitis, pes planus, and right hand sprain. However, it granted a 10 percent evaluation for allergic rhinitis from November 17, 2021, to April 7, 2023, and for the right hand sprain during the same period.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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