The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claim for a left middle finger disability due to insufficient information regarding whether any increase in severity of the pre-service disability occurred during service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that an addendum opinion is necessary to determine if there was any increase in severity of the Veteran’s left middle finger disability during service and whether such increase was clearly and unmistakably due to the natural progress of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left middle finger disability, ankylosis, posttraumatic arthritis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20080986
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 rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren's syndrome, and disabilities affecting each finger as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, including exposure to toxic exposure risk activities (TERAs).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a right foot condition, including hallux rigidus with degenerative arthritis, based on the Veteran's credible assertions of continuous symptoms since active duty and resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 19, 2020, but no earlier, for the establishment of service connection for a left wrist disability, a left shoulder disability, and right elbow disabilities (based on limitation of flexion and supination/pronation), while denying such claims for other foot and finger conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's appeal for a rating higher than 10% for his right wrist condition. The decision was based on the lack of evidence showing ankylosis or its functional equivalent.
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