The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand arthritis, left foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, and left hand arthritis. The case is being remanded to further develop the evidence related to these issues.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of right hand arthritis or significant functional impairment that would support a finding of service connection for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Right hand arthritis, Left foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, Left hand arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2026
- Citation
- A26004047
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 A26004047.
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 has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right hand disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD and eating disorder, but denied service connection for right hand arthritis, left hand arthritis, nerve damage in the neck, nerve damage in the right shoulder, nerve damage in the left shoulder, bronchitis, a gynecological disability, and non-compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a low back disability and several related conditions, including radiculopathy of the lower extremities, neck disability, arm radiculopathy, headaches, left foot pes planus and plantar fasciitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and obstructive sleep apnea. The claim for higher ratings for depressive disorder and ankle strains was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD, right hand arthritis, right wrist arthritis and CMC, and joint pain (other than right hand, right wrist, and bilateral knees), all claimed as due to the Veteran's Gulf War service.
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