The Board remands the claim for a left finger disability to provide the Veteran and his representative an opportunity to respond to the reevaluation of whether the presumption of soundness applies, and to obtain a more adequate medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The June 2022 VA nexus opinion is found inadequate due to its use of the wrong standard and reliance on the absence of treatment records for a conclusory conclusion. An addendum opinion addressing worsening beyond normal progression and clear and unmistakable evidence of no aggravation is required.
- Claimed conditions
- left finger disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 8, 2025
- Citation
- 25008896
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 Board denied service connection for right knee, left knee, diabetes, left finger, and acquired psychiatric disorder due to the lack of new and relevant evidence. The claims for sleep apnea and headaches were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a right elbow disability and a right hand disability (carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes) but denied service connection for a left shoulder disability, a left finger disability, and a left ear disability.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating of left finger disability was granted, but other claims related to the left finger scar and increased ratings were denied.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple conditions was dismissed because the veteran requested to withdraw the appeal.
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