The Veteran's left shoulder disability is remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current left shoulder condition, including pain alone that rises to the level of functional impairment. The examiner must also provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that any left shoulder disability had its onset during active service or is related to any in-service disease or injury.
The deciding factor: The VA has not provided a VA examination for the purposes of determining the nature and etiology of the Veteran's alleged left shoulder disability, which may include pain alone that rises to the level of functional impairment. A remand for a VA examination is warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20021891
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 20021891.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total rating for his left shoulder disability, finding that he did not require convalescence beyond August 31, 2011 following his surgery.
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