The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to concerns about the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the most recent examination reports. The Veteran's service connection claims related to bilateral shoulder, cervical spine, thoracolumbar spine, and left foot disorders are being returned to the AOJ for additional development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the credentials of the VA examiners need to be verified as per Federal Circuit Court rulings.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder disorder, cervical spine / neck disorder with radiculopathy, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left foot disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21009485
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 21009485.
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 Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, shin splints of the right and left lower extremities, multiple sclerosis (MS), thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, left elbow disorder, left knee disorder, migraine headaches, and right knee disorder are dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and back disorders. The underlying merits of these claims must be addressed by the AOJ.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hip disorders due to a lack of current diagnoses in the medical records.
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