The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder injury and psychiatric disability, but has remanded the low back injury claim due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found no current disability related to the right shoulder injury and insufficient evidence linking the psychiatric disability to service. The low back injury claim is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a right shoulder injury, acquired psychiatric disability (including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depressive disorder), residuals of a low back injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20052846
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 20052846.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus was granted, while the claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied. Several other claims were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury but denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 2, 2016. From April 2, 2016 to June 27, 2016, the Veteran was in receipt of a total disability rating (TDIU) and Special Monthly Compensation (SMC). The appeal for TDIU is now moot as he is already receiving SMC.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a low back injury is remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including SSA records and medical records from Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas, and UVA Hospital System.
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