The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his right shoulder disability was denied prior to October 17, 2018. From January 1, 2019 onwards, the Veteran received an increased rating of 30 percent.,The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further adjudication on the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability resulting from service-connected disability (TDIU).
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the Veteran's current right shoulder disability and its impact on his employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Acromioclavicular Joint Osteoarthritis, Supraspinatus Tendinitis, Bursitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20004229
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (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 20004229.
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 right shoulder disability, which includes strain, tendonitis, and bursitis, has been rated at a minimum of 20 percent since August 20, 2008. The effective date for this rating is set to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in previous examinations, requiring additional information on right shoulder ROM measurements without medication effects.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a medical examination for his sleep apnea claim. The right knee disability rating issue remains denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to issues with the VA examinations and concerns about functional ankylosis. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated based on its current severity.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.