The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left index finger, left thumb, left knee, right knee, lower back, left-hand, and right-hand conditions, due to a lack of medical evidence and the need for VA examinations.
The deciding factor: Remand is necessary due to missing private treatment records and the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left index finger disability (trigger finger), left thumb disability (trigger finger), left knee disability (bilateral knee pain and reduced range of motion), right knee disability (bilateral knee pain and reduced range of motion), lower back disability, left-hand disability (arthritis in hands), right-hand disability (arthritis in hands)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25035295
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lower back disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his service and has progressively worsened since separation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD, effective March 8, 2023, but no earlier. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for lower back disability, right shoulder disability, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) was denied due to the untimely filing of the Board Appeal request.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a lower back disability, residuals of inguinal hernia repair, residuals of umbilical hernia repair, and sinusitis. Service connection was denied for an ulcer, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and acne.
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