The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating of a right fourth finger disability, as well as any related hand and wrist disabilities. The Veteran needs to undergo an examination to assess these potential secondary conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA is obligated to identify and adjudicate claims for secondary service connection that are reasonably raised during the processing of a properly initiated claim as to the primary service-connected disability's evaluation level, including complications of the primary service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hand and wrist disabilities, right fourth finger disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22044401
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 22044401.
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 glaucoma and an increased rating for right fourth finger disability. The Veteran's glaucoma claim was denied due to lack of a diagnosis, while his right fourth finger disability claim was denied as the evidence did not show any impairment warranting a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and a right fourth finger disability have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions that his current conditions are related to his active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran's left and right fourth finger disabilities are service-connected, with a 10% rating each. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU is being remanded for further development. Service connection for residuals of traumatic brain injury remains pending.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and inadequate examination reports. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from SSA and VA facilities, and schedule a VA examination to assess the severity of his low back disability.
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