The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his right hand arthritis must be remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and procedural issues. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating, but the VA examinations provided were inadequate in addressing the impact of cold temperatures on his ability to use his hand and flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the April 2017 and July 2019 VA examinations did not provide sufficient information regarding the Veteran's range of motion during flare-ups and repetitive use, as well as the effects of cold temperatures on his ability to use his hand. The examiner also did not address whether the Veteran's reports of occasional incapacitating exacerbations are considered part of his service-connected condition.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand arthritis, fractures in the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23000604
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 23000604.
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 granted service connection for right hand arthritis but has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for nocturia due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right hand arthritis and left hand arthritis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for lumbar strain, radiculopathy of the left sciatic nerve, and radiculopathy of the right sciatic nerve have been remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal concerning the issues of entitlement to service connection for left hand arthritis, 3rd digit and right hand arthritis has been dismissed due to their death.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the proposed reduction in PTSD rating from 70% to 50%, and for service connection claims related to various joints and diabetes mellitus type II, has been dismissed due to procedural issues. The Veteran withdrew his appeals.
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