The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs a new VA joints examination to determine the etiology of any right shoulder disability, including whether it was related to service or service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examination did not comply with the July 2018 remand order and another remand is required to obtain an adequate opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder impingement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20044520
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 20044520.
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 Board has remanded the claims for right knee strain, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, and right shoulder rotator cuff tear due to inadequate medical opinions in the November 2020 rating decision. The VA is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician to determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's left shoulder degenerative arthritis and right shoulder impingement are rated at 40 percent and 20 percent, respectively. The decision grants these ratings.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,PTSD resulted in reduced reliability and productivity, but did not meet criteria for a higher rating.,Tension headaches did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on characteristic prostrating attacks.,Degenerative arthritis of cervical spine did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to limitation of motion.,Right shoulder impingement did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to limitation of motion.,Left shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendonitis, did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to limitation of motion.,IBS manifested as moderate, frequent episodes of abdominal distress and did not meet criteria for a higher rating.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not result in his inability to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 19, 2019. The Board denied an earlier effective date for the TDIU.
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