The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings and a greater rating for painful scars of the left middle and ring fingers are being remanded due to incomplete development. The VA examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his arthritis, which may be related to service-connected scars.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's arthritis may not be directly related to or aggravated by his service-connected scars, but further examination and clarification are needed for a complete evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- laceration of the distal phalanx of the left middle finger, laceration of the distal phalanx of the left ring finger, arthritis of the left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21031989
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 21031989.
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 Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating claims due to a concurrent election under the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA). The issues were docketed in error as the AOJ was still reviewing them.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the entire skeletal system (other than cervical spine, right shoulder, bilateral hands, and left foot), a left knee condition (other than arthritis), and other specific joints. The claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for arthritis of the right and left hands to schedule a VA examination.
- Partly granted
The appeal for an earlier effective date for PTSD was dismissed. The claims for service connection for various conditions were remanded for further evaluation.
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