The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left shoulder disability and chronic left wrist strain require additional medical examination to determine the current severity of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations are not compliant with requirements from Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder impingement syndrome with supraspinatous tendinitis and mild AC joint arthritis, chronic left wrist strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18156002
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 18156002.
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 determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a spine disability, left ankle disability, left shoulder condition, and left wrist disability, require additional development due to procedural errors in obtaining medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's right knee meniscal injury and remanded several service connection claims.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for chronic left wrist strain and right wrist strain, but denied service connection for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and bilateral shin splints.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder and right shoulder strain, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 26, 2016. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual employability from this date.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.