The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's left shoulder disabilities are related to service, including as due to a 1999 in-service motor vehicle accident and/or carrying caskets weighing 800 pounds or more during service. The examiner is also asked to provide opinions on whether the disabilities were caused by or aggravated by the service-connected back and neck disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the Veteran's reported symptoms post-service, which included pain in the left shoulder since service separation.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, left shoulder labral tear, left shoulder arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20071840
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20071840.
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 Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed all other appeals related to various joint conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the current medical opinion is inadequate and the record is incomplete without other opinions. The Veteran's left shoulder disorder may be related to service, but a VA examination is needed to determine if it was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service injury. The evidence shows a present disability and service incurrence of an injury, with continuity of symptomatology post-service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claim for sinusitis is granted, and the increased rating claim for left shoulder labral tear is remanded.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.