The Board remands all service connection claims for further development and to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The examiner's opinion on the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome was found inadequate, and additional examinations are required to address the etiology of the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Carpal tunnel syndrome (right upper extremity), Carpal tunnel syndrome (left upper extremity), Left wrist arthritis, Left foot pes planus, Left index finger arthritis, Left little finger arthritis, Left long finger arthritis, Left ring finger arthritis, Left thumb arthritis, Right wrist arthritis, Right index finger arthritis, Right little finger arthritis, Right long finger arthritis, Right ring finger arthritis, Right thumb arthritis, Left toe joint pain, Neck condition, Sleep apnea, Sleep disturbance, Acne, Back injury, Headaches, Left hip condition, Right knee condition, Left knee condition, Right elbow condition (nerve damage), Left elbow condition (nerve damage), Penile condition, Left shoulder condition, Right shoulder condition, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25032228
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 696 · Granted: 63% (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 A25032228.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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