The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with its prior remand directives and for obtaining an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's residuals of frostbite, including left-hand arthritis.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examination did not provide a sufficient opinion on whether the Veteran's left-hand arthritis was related to his service, including frostbite in 1960 or 1961, and whether it began during service, manifested within one year after discharge from service, or was noted during service with continuity of symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of frostbite, left-hand arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 22, 2022
- Citation
- 22016496
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 22016496.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a dental disability, claimed as loss of teeth, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and remanded the issues of service connection for a right knee disability and residuals of frostbite.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right hand disability, to include residuals of frostbite and tenosynovitis, is dismissed due to the appellant's death.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of frostbite based on the Veteran's credible testimony and a positive medical opinion.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine DDD, tinnitus, eczema, and left-hand arthritis, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 29, 2021.
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