The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, but the issues of service connection for low back disability, right shoulder DJD, left shoulder DJD, right hip DJD, and left hip DJD have been remanded due to lack of evidence.
The deciding factor: New evidence was submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of service connection for the Veteran's disabilities. However, further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service or any accidents during ACDUTRA.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the lower back, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the right shoulder, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left shoulder, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the right hip, Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left hip
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19184583
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the cases for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's shoulder disabilities are at least as likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for DJD of the right shoulder, left shoulder, and arthritis of the thoracic and lumbar spine. The conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder DJD was denied. The current disability rating of 30 percent is the highest available under Diagnostic Code 5201, which pertains to limitation of motion of the arm at shoulder level and midway between side and shoulder level.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected DJD of the left hip is granted a 10 percent disability rating for limitation of flexion and adduction, with all reasonable doubt resolved in her favor.
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