The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disorders due to a lack of STRs, which were not provided. The Veteran is also required to participate in a VA examination or provide a completed Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) by her private physician.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the Board found that VA had not taken reasonable efforts to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records, which are necessary for an accurate assessment of her claims.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder tendonitis, left shoulder degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18153364
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 18153364.
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 claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected left shoulder tendonitis, right shoulder tendonitis, left knee tendonitis, and right elbow tendinitis (impairment of supination and pronation) have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected right elbow tendinitis (limitation of flexion) has also been denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for left shoulder degenerative joint disease with glenohumeral joint instability was denied as his disability did not more nearly approximate limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder tendonitis were denied. The effective date of service connection for the right shoulder tendonitis was granted on May 1, 2023, but no earlier. The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right shoulder disability, major depressive disorder, and right ankle sprain are being remanded.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right shoulder tendonitis, cervical strain, chondromalacia patella right knee, lumbar degenerative disc disease with strain, episodes of locking left knee, left knee degenerative joint disease with patellofemoral pain syndrome and chondromalacia patella status-post surgery, and limitation of extension left knee, have rendered the Veteran unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since May 15, 2019.
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