The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disability as secondary to his right shoulder disability and for TDIU prior to September 24, 2011 due to incomplete records. The Veteran needs to provide SSA wage earnings statements and VA treatment records from September 2017 forward. An additional medical opinion is needed regarding the relationship between the left shoulder disability and service-connected right shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the claims were remanded because of incomplete records, specifically the Veteran's SSA wage earnings statements and VA treatment records from September 2017 forward. The Veteran needs to provide these records in order for a complete evaluation of his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20036876
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 20036876.
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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