The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for left small finger laceration was denied. The Board has now remanded the case to assign an appropriate rating due to the need for further examination and consideration of new evidence.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left thumb disability, as well as any residual pain or weakness attributable to nonservice-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Left thumb disability, Left small finger laceration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26004957
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 A26004957.
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 Veteran's hair loss and some other conditions are granted service connection, while the right hand disability is denied. The Veteran also has a new rating for his low back condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased rating of insomnia disorder, service connection for left thumb disability, and service connection for OSA have all been denied as the Veteran failed to appear for necessary VA examinations without good cause.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee, right hand, left knee, right ankle, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury due to untimely appeals or lack of evidence supporting current disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability in accordance with VA standards.
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