The Board remanded the claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis due to insufficient objective evidence regarding neurological abnormalities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners failed to address and reconcile conflicting evidence related to the Veteran's upper extremity neurological symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical strain with degenerative arthritis, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2025
- Citation
- A25005489
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,432 · Granted: 29% (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 A25005489.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome in the left upper extremity, and the Board has dismissed this case.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Additional development is needed for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome, increased ratings for lower extremity radiculopathies, and obtaining a VA TERA opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, and the case is inextricably intertwined with his TDIU claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve post traumatic mononeuropathy of the right upper extremity is rated at 40 percent effective July 23, 2019.
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