The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right hand thumb and finger disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms might have worsened since his last relevant VA examination, necessitating another examination to accurately assess the disability ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Thumb Arthritis, Right Little Finger Scar, Right Thumb Scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22047453
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 22047453.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, right thumb disability, and right thumb scar but granted a 10% rating for the painful right thumb scar. The claims for increased initial ratings for bilateral wrist DeQuervain's syndrome and tendinitis were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the ratings for PTSD, TBI with neurocognitive disorder and vertigo, and a right thumb scar. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.
- Denied
The Veteran's right thumb arthritis is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board found no evidence of a gap greater than two inches between the thumb pad and fingers, with the thumb attempting to oppose the fingers. Therefore, an increased rating beyond 10 percent is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TBI, headaches, GERD, and right thumb arthritis are granted. The lower extremity radiculopathy claims are remanded for further examination.
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