The Veteran's right shoulder strain is currently rated at 10 percent prior to July 8, 2014 and 20 percent beginning from July 8, 2014. The cervical spine and right ankle disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion.,Service connection for the lumbar strain disability and TDIU prior to January 4, 2013 is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher evaluations require additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his cervical spine and right ankle disabilities. The claim for TDIU prior to January 4, 2013 requires consideration of the Veteran's unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.,Service connection for the lumbar strain disability and TDIU prior to January 4, 2013 require additional medical opinions regarding the severity and frequency of the Veteran's back disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Strain, Cervical Spine Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Lumbar Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20022921
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 20022921.
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 cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for TMD, cervical spine disability, and FSAD have been denied.,An earlier effective date prior to August 2, 2022, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for other conditions are remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and increased rating for his right shoulder disability was denied. The Board found that the earliest claim for service connection was filed on June 3, 2024, and thus no earlier effective date is warranted.
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