The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons and bases in its November 2023 decision, which denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected right ring finger posttraumatic degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's last VA examination was conducted in March 2023, but it is not considered adequate. The Board also found that extraschedular referral is warranted due to the Veteran's functional limitations and pain.
The deciding factor: The November 2023 decision did not adequately address whether the Veteran is entitled to a rating based on amputation of five digits of one hand, as raised by the parties in their Joint Motion for Partial Remand.
- Claimed conditions
- right ring finger posttraumatic degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 18, 2024
- Citation
- 24034392
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 24034392.
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 of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent for right ring finger posttraumatic degenerative joint disease and entitlement to service connection for hypertension due to secondary service connected tinnitus. The Veteran's medical history, including obstructive sleep apnea, needs to be considered.
- 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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