The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to unclear diagnoses and need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions, particularly in relation to his diabetes.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a new VA examination is necessary to clarify the diagnosis of the Veteran's upper extremity conditions and determine their relationship to his service-connected diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral arthritis of the hands, lower wrists, and the thumbs, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, eye condition (specifically 'floaters'), alopecia areata
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21027321
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 21027321.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding past-due benefits awarded in the March 20, 2023 rating decision. The matter is being returned for further adjudication.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for alopecia areata was dismissed because she submitted a request for Higher Level Review (HLR) before filing her Notice of Disagreement, which constitutes an impermissible concurrent election.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for an increased disability rating for other specified stressor and trauma related disorder, as well as service connection for alopecia areata, were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a 100% disability rating for the former condition or establish service connection for the latter.
- Granted
Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, to include as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, asbestos, and lead paint, is denied.,Service connection for alopecia areata, to include as due to exposure to ionizing radiation, asbestos, and lead paint, is denied.,Secondary service connection for fatigue (claimed as fatigue) is granted.,Secondary service connection for cognitive slowing (claimed as memory and concentration difficulties) is granted.
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