The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral wrist arthritis due to insufficient examination opinions and lack of consideration of certain factors.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay statements, medical records, and the relationship between mental health conditions and rheumatoid arthritis. The examiner also failed to address whether the Veteran's right wrist condition was caused or aggravated by his left wrist disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left wrist arthritis, right wrist arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21072222
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 21072222.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded all issues for further development, including verification of the Veteran's service dates and consideration of any newly identified periods of service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left wrist arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that these conditions are related to his service-connected right wrist disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran will be provided with notice of his right to a hearing before the VA.
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