The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for scars of the left upper extremity and a left rotator cuff tear is remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA will obtain additional medical records, schedule the Veteran for an examination, and consider any new information provided.
The deciding factor: The decision does not provide specific reasoning but indicates that further evaluation and consideration are needed based on the lack of sufficient evidence in the current record.
- Claimed conditions
- Scars of the left upper extremity, Left rotator cuff tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19145556
Veterans Law Judge
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 19145556.
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 left shoulder disability is granted with a 30 percent rating from September 5, 2011 to July 31, 2019. A higher 40 percent rating is granted for the period August 6, 2018 to July 31, 2019. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his left shoulder disability was denied. From September 5, 2011 to July 19, 2018, the Veteran was rated at 20 percent and from July 19, 2018, he was rated at 40 percent.
- Granted
The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the injury underlying the Veteran's left rotator cuff tear was incurred during a period of INACDUTRA or aggravated during a period of ACDUTRA, and thus granted service connection for residuals of left rotator cuff repair.
- Denied
The Board denied reopening of service connection for a low back disorder and denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left rotator cuff tear due to lack of new and material evidence, and because the Veteran's condition preexisted VA treatment.
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