The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right shoulder and back disabilities. The claims of service connection for these conditions are pending.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations were not conducted as per the September 2017 remand directives, which required a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of any currently present shoulder and back disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Painful left inguinal hernia residual surgical scar, Degenerative joint disease (right shoulder), Degenerative joint disease (back)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2018
- Citation
- 18107888
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 18107888.
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 Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, but the issues of service connection for a right arm disability and numbness of thumb and index finger remain pending. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these claims.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's right shoulder disability has been primarily manifested by complaints of pain and limitation of motion, without muscle atrophy or swelling. The current degree of disability does not warrant a higher evaluation.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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