The Board has remanded the claims for instability, deformity and ankylosis of the PIP joint of the right ring finger, limited motion of the right little finger, and right ulnar cutaneous nerve injury associated with limitation of motion of the right little finger as residual of a shell fragment wound due to insufficient development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the examination reports were insufficient for rendering an informed decision regarding higher evaluations under specific diagnostic codes and requested further development.
- Claimed conditions
- instability, deformity and ankylosis of the PIP joint of the right ring finger, limited motion of the right little finger, right ulnar cutaneous nerve injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 8, 2023
- Citation
- 23049828
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 23049828.
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 for additional development due to inadequate statements of reasons and bases in the September 2021 decision. The issues on appeal include initial ratings for instability, deformity, and ankylosis of the right ring finger, limited motion of the right little finger, and right ulnar cutaneous nerve injury.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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