The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral finger disabilities. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and PTSD will be remanded as well, with consideration of new evidence.
The deciding factor: The decision notes that the Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral finger disabilities, and because there is new relevant VA records that have not been considered in the previous readjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hand, long finger, traumatic arthritis, Left hand, long finger, traumatic arthritis, Right hand, ring finger and little finger, traumatic arthritis, Left hand, ring finger and little finger, traumatic arthritis, Right hand, thumb, traumatic arthritis, Left hand, thumb, traumatic arthritis, Right hand, index finger, traumatic arthritis, Left hand, index finger, traumatic arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23052298
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 23052298.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
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