The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his upper extremity nerve conditions, as well as their current severity. The Veteran is seeking service connection for right elbow nerve damage and right upper extremity cubital tunnel syndrome, which he attributes to in-service injuries or overuse of his right hand and finger conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence was insufficient to determine whether the Veteran's current nerve conditions are related to his in-service injuries or if they were caused by modifying his use of his upper extremities due to other service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right elbow nerve damage, right upper extremity cubital tunnel syndrome, right hand tendinitis with limited motion of the thumb, right hand tendinitis with limited motion of the ring finger, right hand tendinitis with limited motion of the little finger, left carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2023
- Citation
- 23038382
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 23038382.
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 cases due to a duty to assist error, requiring new VA examinations for the appellant's left carpal tunnel syndrome and left wrist osteoarthritis.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal as it found that the benefits originally sought have been granted in full, and thus there is no longer a specific error of fact or law to address.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted increased ratings to 20% and 30%, respectively, effective from the date of the decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for hypertension, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a left foot condition must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The claim for an effective date of February 25, 2024 for bipolar disorder is granted.
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