The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and lack of opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to his service-connected cervical spine disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the left shoulder disability on a secondary basis, which was required by the previous remand directive.
- Claimed conditions
- Left shoulder disability, Degenerative joint disease of the left acromioclavicular (AC) joint
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068220
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 appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder disability from November 1, 2024, to correct a duty to assist error.
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