The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right ankle fusion and carpal tunnel syndrome of both wrists. The Veteran is seeking initial compensable ratings for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded due to inadequate information regarding the extent of functional loss during flare-ups of the Veteran’s right ankle and bilateral wrist disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ankle fusion, Carpal tunnel syndrome of the right wrist (dominant), Carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist (non-dominant)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21025150
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 21025150.
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 found that the Veteran's current left and right ankle disabilities did not manifest in service or within one year of discharge, and the only competent opinions to address their etiology weighed against the claims. The diagnoses are considered new and separate conditions unrelated to his service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected right ankle disorder, diabetes mellitus, and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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