The Board remanded all issues for further development and adjudication, including claims for increased disability ratings for right upper extremity ulnar neuropathy across three rating periods, service connection for right elbow disorder as potentially secondary to the ulnar neuropathy, and special monthly compensation for loss of use of the right hand. The remand was necessitated by the VA's failure to comply with prior remand instructions and to adequately address the veteran's lay statements regarding functional impairment and the failure to develop and adjudicate the right elbow claim.
The deciding factor: The Court vacated the prior Board decision pursuant to a Joint Motion finding that the Board failed to ensure compliance with duty to assist, failed to obtain an adequate examination addressing the veteran's specific statements about coping mechanisms and progressive impairment since 1984, and failed to develop or address claims for right elbow service connection and special monthly compensation.
- Claimed conditions
- right upper extremity neuropathy of the ulnar nerve, right elbow disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2025
- Citation
- 25012798
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · 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 25012798.
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 has determined that the AOJ did not obtain all necessary opinions regarding whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The claims for service connection for fatigue, fibromyalgia, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, and sleep disorder are remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection of a bilateral foot disorder is dismissed. The appeals for service connection of OSA, cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left elbow disorder, right elbow disorder, right hip disorder, left hip disorder, and right ankle disorder are remanded.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, left and right knee disorders, left and right ankle disorders, left and right hip disorders, a right elbow disorder, a back disability, and migraine headaches. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg, right leg, right elbow, and right wrist disorders due to inadequate VA examinations.
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