The Veteran's initial ratings for CTS of the right and left upper extremities have been granted, but his trigger finger claim is remanded due to a lack of opinion on secondary service connection. His lumbar spine disability has been granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's trigger finger was secondary to CTS, which is required for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (left upper extremity), Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (right upper extremity), Lumbar Spine Disability, Trigger Finger (right hand middle finger)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2024
- Citation
- A24073755
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 117 · Granted: 38% (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 A24073755.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable prior to August 19, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated as 30% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated as 20% prior to December 1, 2022 and at a 40% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy is rated as 10% prior to August 3, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.,The Veteran's left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy is rated as 20% since August 3, 2024.,The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated as 10% prior to August 27, 2024 and at a 20% rating since that date.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for depressive disorder with anxious distress is dismissed due to procedural error. The claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral knee disabilities, and GERD are remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent, and his left and right foot disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The appeals for increased ratings have been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of increased ratings for Right Shoulder Disability and Lumbar Spine Disability due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding medication effects.
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.