The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion was inadequate as it did not sufficiently explain why the Veteran's right shoulder disability is or is not related to his military service. The case requires further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's condition.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder chronic strain, AC joint arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1549284
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 1549284.
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 Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the current condition and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder condition, including strain, tendonitis, arthritis, and gout, is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his symptoms.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions provided in prior examinations. The right shoulder disabilities, including bursitis, AC joint arthritis, rotator cuff tendonitis, and rotator cuff tear, are being examined again as they may be related to pre-existing symptoms or service-connected conditions. The right shoulder scar is also being reviewed to determine if it worsened during service.
- Granted
The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder condition, including a rotator cuff tear and AC joint arthritis, is related to his service due to conflicting medical opinions. As such, the claim for service connection was granted.
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