The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's current left shoulder disability to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s opinion is inadequate as it does not address continuity of symptomatology since service or the Veteran's self-treatment history, nor does it consider Dr. Runyan's positive opinion on this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder acromioclavicular arthrosis, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, left shoulder impingement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179411
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder rotator cuff tears due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's complete service treatment records.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions and dismissed claims, with some issues remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of March 4, 2014 for the award of service connection for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy but denied a higher rating for left shoulder impingement.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.