The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lower back bulging disc L4-L5, broken left finger with misplaced bone, right ankle sprain, and right hand injury due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran is required to be afforded VA examinations to determine if he has residuals from these conditions and whether they are at least as likely as not related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's statements about his in-service injuries were competent, but there are no available service treatment records to support these claims. The duty to assist requires obtaining VA examinations for a thorough review of the Veteran's medical history and opinions on the relationship between his current conditions and service.
- Claimed conditions
- lower back bulging disc L4-L5, broken left finger with misplaced bone, right ankle sprain, right hand injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2024
- Citation
- A24056554
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 A24056554.
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 has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ankle disability, finding that it had its onset during service and is related to service. The decision was made after considering both lay and medical evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA-scheduled aid and attendance/housebound examination to determine eligibility for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and assistance due to his service-connected disabilities. The examiner must address specific questions regarding the Veteran's ability to perform daily activities, including dressing, feeding, attending to personal hygiene, protection from environmental hazards, and confinement.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left ankle disabilities are related to repetitive parachute jumps during service, granting service connection for these conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle sprain, right ankle sprain, anxiety with situational type phobia, left hip strain, left knee strain, right knee strain, and lumbar strain are granted effective March 3, 2022.,An earlier effective date of March 3, 2022, is assigned for the Veteran's service connection claims.
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