The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.,The Veteran is seeking service connection for a cervical spine disability and left arm disability that he contends are secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability. The VA will provide further examination and opinion on these issues.,The Veteran is also seeking an increased rating for his service-connected left shoulder disability. The VA will provide further examination and opinion on the severity of this condition.
The deciding factor: Additional medical examinations are necessary to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, as well as the etiology of his cervical spine and left arm disabilities.,The Veteran needs a VA examination to assess whether his claimed cervical spine disability is related to service or secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability. A separate examination is also needed for his claimed left arm disability.,A VA examination is necessary to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability and to decide on an increased rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative changes of the left shoulder, Cervical spine disability, Left arm disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 14, 2016
- Citation
- 1623626
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 1623626.
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 service-connected cervical spine disability is rated at 20 percent, the maximum rating available under the General Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine. The evidence does not support a higher rating as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for brain cancer, low back disability, and cervical spine disability due to a pre-decisional error in failing to obtain a radiation dose estimate from the Under Secretary for Health. The Veteran's military service aboard USS ENTERPRISE is considered relevant to his exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine condition had its onset in service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, upper extremity neurological, and lower extremity neurological disabilities due to inadequate VA medical examinations in March 2019 and January-May 2016. The new examinations must consider the Veteran's reported onset dates for his symptoms.
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