The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate rationale in the VA opinion and failure to comply with remand directives. The Veteran's right elbow disability is being reviewed for service connection on both direct theory (no current diagnosis found) and secondary theory (right shoulder disability aggravation).
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide adequate rationale regarding the etiology of the right elbow disability, particularly in relation to the service-connected right shoulder disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Medial epicondylitis of the right elbow, Degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20041518
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 20041518.
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 reduction of the evaluation from 50 percent to 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder was improper, and the 40 percent evaluation is restored.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to attempt rescheduling the Veteran's missed VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, right shoulder, and right wrist due to a need for additional development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for cervical spine, right shoulder, right and left hip, and right and left knee disorders as secondary to a back disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their relationship with the back disability.
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