The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any left shoulder disorder found in the veteran's service records, including whether it existed prior to his period of active duty or was caused by any incident during such service.
The deciding factor: The underlying etiological basis for the veteran's current left shoulder disability has been called into question due to conflicting medical evidence and the need to determine if a pre-existing condition worsened during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2003
- Citation
- 0336534
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 0336534.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and service connection for depression, but granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board denied entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, and denied service connection for various other disorders.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for diverticulitis and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, while remanding claims for service connection for various other disorders and a TDIU.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD with alcohol use disorder and cannabis use was granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent. Other service connection claims were denied or remanded.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.