The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right rotator cuff tear and left shoulder bursitis, both secondary to service-connected bilateral shoulder dislocation. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims on appeal.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion is inadequate as it does not address whether the Veteran’s diagnosed conditions are caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities and uses an incorrect standard for opinions on secondary service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- right rotator cuff tear, left shoulder bursitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2021
- Citation
- 21005656
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 21005656.
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 bilateral ankle collateral ligament sprain, left shoulder bursitis, right hip bursitis, and right knee arthritis are being remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate opinions in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection of various conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran, who was the original claimant.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted service connection, but his diabetes mellitus is denied as there is no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bursitis affecting the Veteran's bilateral ankles, elbows, hips, shoulders, and wrists as there was no evidence of a current disability during the pendency of the appeal.
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