The Veteran's appeal of increased ratings for left elbow is dismissed. The claim of service connection for right shoulder disorder, including arthritis and rotator cuff tear, is remanded due to new evidence received.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been submitted that relates to the unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claim of service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint disease of the left elbow, Right shoulder arthritis, Right shoulder rotator cuff tear
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19153769
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,272 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 19153769.
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 has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to service and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Veteran's SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status is denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him so helpless that he needed regular aid and attendance. The criteria for SMC at the housebound rate have also not been met.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of VA examination addressing the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disorder. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether the current right shoulder disorders are related to service, including physical training and duties as a petroleum supply specialist.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tear is granted as service connected, with the Board finding a causal link between his in-service injury and current symptoms.
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