The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities. The case is now REMANDED for additional examinations and opinions regarding various other issues, including service connection for right hand/wrist, bilateral ankle, hip, and shoulder disabilities; initial ratings for knee and lumbar spine disabilities; and a TDIU claim.
The deciding factor: The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims based on new evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims. The case is now REMANDED as additional examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of various disabilities, including those related to service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability, Right Shoulder Disability, Right Hand/Wrist Disability, Left Hip Disability, Right Hip Disability, Left Ankle Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Bilateral Foot Disability, Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease, Right Knee, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Lumbar Spine
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18137034
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 18137034.
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 claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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