The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current right hand/arm disorder and his military service.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiner's opinions were found to be inadequate due to reliance on the lack of evidence in service treatment records, ignoring the Veteran's lay statements, and not considering the Veteran's buddy statements.
- Claimed conditions
- ankylosis of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of the right little finger, osteoarthritis of the right little finger
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23014235
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 23014235.
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 a compensable rating for osteoarthritis of the right little finger and a rating in excess of 10 percent for osteoarthritis of the right thumb, finding that the Veteran's conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected Hashimoto's thyroiditis is granted a 60 percent rating, effective September 7, 2011. She also receives TDIU benefits.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
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