The Veteran's claim for service connection for a hand/finger disability other than soft tissue swelling right finger, right hand is being remanded due to the Veteran not reporting for a scheduled VA examination. The Board will schedule him for a new VA examination and provide information about why his claim was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not report for the May 2023 VA examination, which was scheduled after he submitted a claim in March 2023. The Board finds that remand is necessary to ensure the Veteran receives a mailed copy of the October 2023 SSOC and an opportunity to respond with good cause.
- Claimed conditions
- hand/finger disability (claimed as stiff and swollen joints), bilateral trigger finger, right fifth finger hyperextension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 26, 2023
- Citation
- 23067447
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 23067447.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral trigger finger, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues related to his son D.M. due to the Veteran's withdrawal of appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating determinations due to incomplete records, inadequate examinations, and unclear assertions. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical evidence or clarification regarding his claims.
- 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.
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