The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete examination reports and failure to account for flare-ups in his back condition.
The deciding factor: Further evidence is needed to determine if there are orthopedic, muscle, and neurological impairments impacting the Veteran's right hand grip. Additionally, a new VA examination is required to properly assess the severity of the Veteran’s back condition during flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- lacerated fifth finger, right hand, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21004204
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 21004204.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease and bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran requested a withdrawal of his appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to dress, undress, bathe, groom himself, prepare meals, and transport himself without the regular aid and attendance of another person. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance since October 10, 2012.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities, including fibromyalgia, depressive disorder with anxiety disorder and alcohol abuse disorder, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, left knee ligament tear with degenerative arthritis, lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, degenerative joint disease of hips and great toes, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disorder from May 29, 2019, and denied special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.
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