The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various arm, shoulder, hand, and wrist disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are proximately caused or aggravated by her service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran is also being asked to provide a new examination to determine the current severity of her left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions did not adequately address the issue of aggravation and were based on an incorrect definition of aggravation, requiring permanent worsening rather than just a worsening beyond natural progression.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Arm Disability, Left Arm Disability, Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Right Hand Disability (including fingers), Left Hand Disability (including fingers), Right Wrist Disability, Left Wrist Disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20026857
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 20026857.
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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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