The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was not sufficient to determine whether the carpal tunnel syndrome is related to active service, as it did not consider the Veteran's statements about the onset and causation of the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity, carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26023143
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 A26023143.
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 Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity, is denied as it is not factually ascertainable that the condition worsened prior to April 3, 2024. The Veteran's claim for DEA eligibility is also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities, as they are related to a service-connected back disability. The VA examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's service-connected back disability aggravated his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for left and right carpal tunnel, pain of the right wrist and hand, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, bilateral leg condition, including pain, sciatic radicular pain, hypoesthesia, and paresthesia. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches disability, and a 10 percent rating for sinusitis were denied.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection of carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities as the Veteran withdrew the issue.
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