The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder strain and lumbar strain due to inadequate VA examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding the onset and reoccurrence of symptoms related to his shoulder and back disabilities, which could affect their relationship with military service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Strain, Lumbar Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19146925
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 Board granted an effective date of December 1, 1984 for the awards of service connection for IBS, bilateral shoulder strain, bilateral elbow tendinopathy, limitation of bilateral forearm supination, and bilateral knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) from January 1, 2019, and an effective date of the same for eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35.
- Denied
The Board denied initial disability ratings for various conditions, including GERD, shoulder strain, elbow strains, lumbosacral strain, and knee conditions. A separate rating was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy due to the service-connected lumbosacral spine disability.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, non-allergic rhinitis, and right shoulder strain, as the evidence did not support a higher level of impairment than currently rated.
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