The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected left shoulder, right knee, and right elbow disabilities due to significant worsening since the July 2017 VA examination.
The deciding factor: The July 2017 VA examinations did not account for recent significant worsening in the Veteran’s disability levels as indicated by the representative's March 2019 appellate brief.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Costochondritis"}, Initial disability rating for service-connected left shoulder disability, {"condition_name":"Right Knee Disability","issues":["Noninitial compensable disability rating prior to July 31, 2017 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter"]}, {"condition_name":"Right Elbow Disability","issues":["Noninitial compensable disability rating"]}, {"condition_name":"Left Shoulder Disability","issues":["Initial disability rating for service-connected left shoulder disability"]}
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148150
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.
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