The Board has remanded two issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral shoulder condition and neck condition, both of which are secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine. The VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding aggravation.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was lacking in addressing the aggravation aspect of secondary service connection, which is required by law.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder condition, neck condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19156753
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 19156753.
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 claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Denied
The Board denied readjudication of the previously denied claims for service connection for migraines and a neck condition because new evidence submitted after the November 2018 rating decision was not relevant to proving or disproving the Veteran's claim.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a neck condition and a low back condition, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck and back conditions due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
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