The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for hyperthyroidism, service connection for finger joint pain, and restoration of a 10 percent disability rating for pseudofollicular barbae (PFB).
The deciding factor: The VA examinations are inadequate and there is internal inconsistency within the November 2016 VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- hyperthyroidism, finger joint pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20074986
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hyperthyroidism as secondary to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and for neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities and right eye exophthalmos and diplopia as secondary to service-connected hypothyroidism.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of March 8, 2018, for the grant of service connection for hypothyroidism associated with hyperthyroidism but dismissed the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hyperthyroidism.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection and rating issues related to various conditions, including obesity, chronic renal dysfunction/kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, Grave's disease, chronic liver disease, TMJ disorder, sleep apnea, back pain, dermatographic urticaria residuals from anthrax vaccine, and hemorrhoids.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for headaches, a synovial cyst, fatigue, fainting, dizziness, and feeling light-headed, as well as hyperthyroidism. The respiratory disability, gout, and constipation claims were remanded.
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