The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a left shoulder disability. The case is remanded for further development, including an examination to determine if the Veteran's current left shoulder condition is related to his military service.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was found in the form of recent medical records indicating a diagnosis of left shoulder impingement, which relates to the unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (a current diagnosis for the claimed condition).
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Impingement
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20033094
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 20033094.
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 increased ratings for PTSD, shoulder impingement, shoulder arthroscopic scars, painful scar of the right shoulder, and knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with chondromalacia and Baker's cyst. Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss.
- Granted
The Veteran's past-due benefits were awarded in the June 2021 rating decision, which granted a 20% increased rating for left shoulder impingement. This contributed to his overall 100% disability rating from March 26, 2020.
- Granted
The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased rating for left shoulder disability is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for a 70% rating for PTSD, effective July 11, 2017, is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his left shoulder disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his left shoulder disability, and he did not meet the criteria for a TDIU.
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