The Board remands the case for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed bilateral hand disorder(s), including whether such are related to cold exposure during service.
The deciding factor: The Court's January 2021 Memorandum Decision found that the Board erred in relying on the November 2017 VA examination report, and thus a remand is necessary for clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand disorder, to include residuals of frostbite
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21061331
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 appeals for service connection for various conditions were dismissed due to the Veteran's untimely and improper submission of a VA Form 10182.
- Partly granted
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- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine disability, concussion, bilateral hand disorder, and bilateral foot pain.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for right knee instability and service connection for bilateral hand and foot disorders, while denying increased ratings for the right and left knee conditions.
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