The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of his left shoulder injury, cervical strain, and laceration of the left hand should be remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration. The claims are also inextricably intertwined with a claim for an initial rating higher than 0 percent for the laceration scar on his left hand.
The deciding factor: The Board found that VA compensation examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including their relationship to service and any additional disability affecting his left thumb.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder injury, cervical strain, laceration of left hand
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2012
- Citation
- 1236179
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 1236179.
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 service connection claims for various conditions were granted effective from July 1, 2020.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to a procedural defect in filing the claims on the correct form.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches and cervical strain due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ failed to obtain VA medical opinions addressing the etiology of these disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of chronic neck pain and cervical strain, finding that the Veteran did not file a claim for these conditions until June 28, 2013.
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