The Veteran's right fifth finger disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition, and for assistance in obtaining any relevant private treatment records. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has also been added due to its connection with the right fifth finger rating claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's most recent VA examination was conducted before any potential additional surgeries or treatments related to his right fifth finger disability, and there may be outstanding private treatment records that need to be obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- Right fifth finger disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2023
- Citation
- 23057610
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 23057610.
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 Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to February 11, 2021 and a compensable rating for his right fifth finger disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support earlier effective dates or higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for right wrist disability, scar (claimed as stab wound), right fifth finger disability, bilateral eye disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder are all being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence. The claim for a 10 percent evaluation based upon multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities prior to April 23, 2021 is inextricably intertwined with these other claims.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal was not decided on the merits of his service connection claims, as they were remanded for further evaluation. The appeals for increased ratings and TDIU are denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right fifth finger fracture, right knee disability, and right peroneal sensory neuropathy (right lower extremity neurological disability). The issues of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have been remanded.
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