The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for limited flexion of the left forearm and remanded claims for increased disability ratings for various conditions, including supination/pronation of the left elbow, left ankle strain, and left elbow strain, limitation of extension.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to December 4, 2013, which is the current effective date for service connection. The Board also determined that remand was necessary for retrospective medical opinions on estimates for repeated use over time due to inadequate previous examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- limited flexion of the left forearm, supination/pronation of the left elbow, left ankle strain, left elbow strain, limitation of extension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055503
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 the veteran's claims for service connection, increased ratings, and earlier effective dates as there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active military service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial evaluation of 20 percent for left and right ankle strains, denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded claims for hypertension and gout.
- Denied
The Board denied earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection and initial increased ratings for various conditions, as well as remanded several issues for further development.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, early osteoarthritis of the left and right hips (secondary to a service-connected knee disability), and right and left ankle strains (secondary to a service-connected knee disability).
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