The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and inadequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hand and wrist conditions. The AOJ is required to obtain additional medical records, including those from Lawrence Joel Army Health Clinic, Elite Family Practice, Physiotherapy Associates, and Craniospinal Institute of Georgia. An independent medical expert (IME) opinion is also needed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the AOJ has not substantially complied with the July 2020 remand directives regarding obtaining outstanding medical records and obtaining adequate opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hand and wrist conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand conditions, bilateral wrist conditions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2022
- Citation
- 22002420
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 22002420.
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 that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral wrist conditions is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion in the October 2024 decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal of all 13 issues listed in his November 2024 notice of disagreement.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hand conditions, finding that the Veteran's active-duty service contributed to his development of osteoarthritis in both hands.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer and bilateral wrist conditions due to outstanding records and need for additional development, including verification of her Reserve service periods and VA examinations.
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