The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine, shoulder, and hip conditions due to inadequate VA examinations in prior decisions.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examinations were found to be inadequate as they did not include range of motion testing in a weight-bearing position, which is required by regulations for orthopedic cases.
- Claimed conditions
- sacroiliac joint and lumbar spine degenerative disease, right shoulder impingement syndrome with degenerative changes, left shoulder impingement syndrome with degenerative changes, right hip degenerative joint disease, left hip degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20027722
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 20027722.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection, including chronic right foot metatarsalgia at digit 3,4,5, left shoulder bicep tendonitis, right hip degenerative joint disease, hypertension, right shoulder bicep tendonitis, headaches, left hip degenerative joint disease, and atrial fibrillation with residual non ischemic cardiomyopathy.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating codes.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically regarding inadequate opinions on the etiology of the Veteran's intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS), right hip degenerative joint disease, and left lower extremity sciatic nerve problem. The issues related to right knee degenerative arthritis are also remanded as they are intertwined with the IVDS claim.
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