The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including left and right hand pain, an acquired psychiatric disorder, TBI, and multiple musculoskeletal pains, to obtain additional medical evidence.
The deciding factor: The August 2021 VA examination opinions are inadequate as they did not address whether the Veteran's subjective complaints of pain resulted in functional loss, which would constitute a disability.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand pain, right hand pain (including status post remote nondisplaced fracture of distal phalanx of right ring finger), acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety, and/or insomnia), traumatic brain injury (TBI), left shin splint pain/arthritis, right shin splint pain/arthritis, left elbow pain/arthritis, right elbow pain/arthritis, left shoulder/arm pain/arthritis, right shoulder/arm pain/arthritis, left knee pain/arthritis, right knee pain/arthritis, left hip pain/arthritis, right hip pain/arthritis, neck disability, left ankle pain/arthritis, right ankle pain/arthritis, left wrist pain/arthritis, right wrist pain/arthritis, low back pain/arthritis, left lower extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral feet pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2024
- Citation
- A24066728
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
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