The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left elbow disability worsened during service and if it was clear and unmistakable that any worsening was not due to natural progression.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion needed to address whether the Veteran's pre-existing left elbow injury worsened during service and if this worsening was clearly and unmistakably not due to natural progression of the disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left elbow disability, left elbow arthritis, left elbow deformity
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 22, 2022
- Citation
- A22026062
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 A22026062.
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 remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and potential secondary service connection theories.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection for anxiety, sinusitis, a cervical spine disability, a left elbow disability, and a right hip disability.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of the claimed bilateral finger, wrist, elbow, and shoulder disabilities. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining medical opinions and addressing all relevant issues, including secondary service connection.
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