The Board has remanded the cases for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral elbow disability was incurred in or is etiologically related to his military service. The effective dates for the granted ratings of 20% for each shoulder are October 1, 2011.
The deciding factor: The Board found that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral elbow disability was incurred in or is etiologically related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Shoulder Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- A19000862
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 A19000862.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not establish that his service-connected disabilities had precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board has revised the October 2015 rating decision to grant a 30 percent evaluation for left shoulder disability, effective June 24, 2011, based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was submitted after the June 2019 denial, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability. The Veteran's current diagnosis of degenerative joint disease is supported by VA treatment records, but his claim remains on remand to determine if there is a nexus between his current condition and service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee and right shoulder degenerative joint disease have been granted. The Board found that the current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during combat service in Vietnam.
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