The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for right shoulder impingement syndrome, bicipital tenosynovitis and acromioclavicular joint strain prior to August 28, 2018 and lumbar degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) prior to September 2018 due to deficiencies in the VA examination reports.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examinations did not properly describe the effects of flare-ups on the Veteran's right shoulder range of motion or provide an adequate explanation as to why such an opinion could not be rendered, and did not include findings pursuant to Correia v. McDonald (2016) for testing pain on both active and passive motion.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder impingement syndrome, bicipital tenosynovitis, acromioclavicular joint strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20075947
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 20075947.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding no evidence linking his current condition to military service or any service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue regarding radiculopathy of left lower extremity. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.
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