The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various shoulder and neck disabilities, as well as a headache disability, due to incomplete medical opinions and the need for additional records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain updated VA treatment records and request private health care providers' records if available.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA opinions did not consider whether the Veteran's service-connected hip disabilities caused or aggravated his remaining disabilities, as service connection was not established at that time.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, neck disability, headache disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150251
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 service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for further development and consideration of evidence not previously considered.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and a right hip disability, and granted a 30 percent rating for ureterolithiasis. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, while other claims were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew her appeal for an increased rating for a headache disability, and the Board dismissed the claim.
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