The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for an addendum VA opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right hand disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA opinion relied on the lack of medical evidence without considering the Veteran's lay statements, which is inadequate. The Board finds that a secondary service connection theory had been raised but no opinions have been rendered as to whether the right hand disorder was caused or aggravated by his left hand disability.
- Claimed conditions
- right hand disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2024
- Citation
- A24067814
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 931 · Granted: 42% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A24067814.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, right hand disorder, and right hip disorder are granted. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remand the case for further action.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as additional VA examinations and opinions.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The Board also remanded cases for right foot, left foot, right hand, headaches (migraine), and right shoulder disorders due to duty-to-assist errors.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.