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.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner is necessary to determine the appropriate rating for the Veteran's disability due to the presence of additional diagnosed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left trapezius strain, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, rotator cuff tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- Not specified
- Citation
- 18100030
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 18100030.
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates related to various left and right hip, knee, shoulder, and other conditions as they were freestanding claims not continuously pursued from the initial rating decisions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right shoulder disorder.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, while other issues were remanded for further evidence and examination.
- Granted
The Board granted the appeals for severance of service connection for neck, left shoulder, and left upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as entitlement to service connection for headaches.
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