The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner and ensuring that any additional development is completed. The Veteran's left shoulder disability will be reviewed to determine if it is related to service.
The deciding factor: The May 2016 examination report did not address the November 2010 VA treatment note or consider the Veteran's lay reports of continuity of symptoms since service, as requested by the Board in its December 2014 remand. The examiner also provided a rationale that was not based solely on the absence of treatment records during and after service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2017
- Citation
- 1753455
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 1753455.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner regarding which symptoms are related to his service-connected left trapezius strain and whether any non-service-connected conditions represent a progression of that disability.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is proximately due to his military activities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, but denied service connection for left shoulder and right shoulder degenerative arthritis.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, including rotator cuff tear with degenerative arthritis and tendonitis, finding that it is related to his military service.
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