The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder arthritis, right ankle condition, and left ankle condition due to deficiencies in the VA examination opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide a complete analysis or reasoned medical explanation connecting the conclusions reached to supporting medical principles and evidence and failed to address facts specific to the Veteran's case and conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Arthritis, Right Ankle Condition, Left Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20079179
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 20079179.
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 determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle conditions as secondary to his service-connected left hip replacement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error in the initial disability rating for right shoulder arthritis. The Veteran needs an addendum medical opinion regarding additional lost range of motion during painful flare-ups.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle condition is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
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