The Veteran's right shoulder, lumbar and thoracic spine, left ankle, OSA, and hypertension conditions were denied as service connection due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,Service connection was remanded for TBI, GERD, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs did not document any incidents or diagnoses related to the claimed conditions. The medical records from Reserve service also lacked documentation of injuries during ACDUTRA or IDT.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Right Shoulder Impingement","diagnosis_codes":[]}, {"condition_name":"Degenerative Changes to the Lumbar Spine","diagnosis_codes":[]}, {"condition_name":"Degenerative Changes to the Thoracic Spine","diagnosis_codes":[]}, {"condition_name":"Left Ankle Disorder","diagnosis_codes":[]}, {"condition_name":"Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)","diagnosis_codes":[]}, {"condition_name":"Hypertension","diagnosis_codes":[]}
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000876
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
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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.