The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, right shoulder, bilateral hip arthritis, and dermatitis conditions due to inadequate etiological opinions in the current file. The VA is directed to seek Social Security Administration (SSA) records and obtain new medical opinions regarding the onset and progression of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the existing medical opinions are insufficient to determine whether service connection is warranted for the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly due to a lack of continuity of symptomatology post-service. The VA is directed to seek additional evidence from SSA and obtain new etiological opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical Spine Condition, Thoracolumbar Spine Condition, Right Shoulder Condition, Bilateral Hip Arthritis, Dermatitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19131810
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19131810.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted an initial 70 percent evaluation, effective September 23, 2024. The Veteran's dermatitis remains at a 10 percent evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition or neck condition, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied. The claims of service connection for a neck condition as secondary to a service-connected right wrist condition and for bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition, finding it directly related to the Veteran's military service. The effective date is October 24, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and potential gaps in documented medical treatment.
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