The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and requests that another VA examiner review the expanded record to determine if it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's right shoulder arthritis had its onset during service or is related to his already service-connected right shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error regarding the Veteran's in-service duties and their potential impact on his current condition, specifically his right shoulder arthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2020
- Citation
- A20018500
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 A20018500.
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 service connection claims for various musculoskeletal conditions have been granted, with a specific rating of 40 percent for the right upper extremity weakness resulting from stroke.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew all pending appeals, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these issues.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the entire skeletal system (other than cervical spine, right shoulder, bilateral hands, and left foot), a left knee condition (other than arthritis), and other specific joints. The claims were not granted.
- Denied
The Board denied the motions for revision of a July 2011 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) to assign separate disability ratings for right knee and shoulder disabilities.
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