The Board has determined that the November 2002 EMG test may have caused or aggravated additional disability, specifically left shoulder pain and numbness. However, due to insufficient evidence addressing all relevant factors, the case is being remanded for further evaluation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's symptoms of increased shoulder pain and numbness following the November 2002 EMG test are not definitively linked to the procedure without additional examination or medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Pain, Numbness in Left Arm and Hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144618
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 claims for service connection for sinusitis and an initial compensable rating for headaches, while remanding the claims for service connection for right and left shoulder pain.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD, granted a TDIU from December 3, 2020, and denied service connection for various conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD, granted a TDIU from December 3, 2020, and denied service connection for various conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability and remanded it. The rating for his acquired psychiatric disability is granted at 70 percent, effective from July 27, 2016 to January 10, 2017.
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