The Board remands the claims for service connection for a left-hand condition, dorsal and palm scars, and nerve damage on the finger of the left hand due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: A pre-decisional duty-to-assist error occurred as the April 2024 VA examiner did not consider whether the Veteran's left-hand pain causes functional impairment.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand condition, left hand dorsal and palm scars, nerve damage on finger of left hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031798
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 claims for service connection for right and left leg conditions, as well as right and left hand conditions, to schedule VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right hand conditions to correct a duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including OSA, cervical spine condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, and others, but dismissed appeals for obesity, TMJ, insomnia, left elbow, and right elbow. The Board also denied an earlier effective date for a 70% rating for acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition, left hand condition, and right hip condition as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.
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