The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disorders and increased ratings for cervical spine strain, thoracolumbar spine strain, and radiculopathy of the upper extremities. The case is now before the Board again.
The deciding factor: The July 2019 VA examiner’s opinion was based on an inaccurate factual premise and did not consider all evidence of record regarding the onset of the Veteran's shoulder disorders in service and post-service treatment records reflecting complaints as early as June 2003.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Impingement Syndrome, Rotator Cuff Tendonitis, Labral Tear (including Superior Labral Anterior-Posterior Lesion), Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis of the Left Shoulder, Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint Inflammation of the Left Shoulder, Bilateral Acromioclavicular (AC) Joint Inflammation, Moderate AC and Mild Glenohumeral Osteoarthrosis of the Left Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21026146
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 21026146.
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 claim for service connection for right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis was granted, effective August 19, 2024. The decision is based on the merits of the case and not due to any presumption or new evidence.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, which includes strain, tendonitis, and bursitis, has been rated at a minimum of 20 percent since August 20, 2008. The effective date for this rating is set to that date.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial disability rating for her service-connected right shoulder degenerative joint disease and rotator cuff tendonitis is denied as the evidence does not show that her range of motion is limited to less than 25 degrees from the side.
- Granted
The Board has granted an effective date of September 7, 2023 for a 40 percent rating for the Veteran's right shoulder condition. The decision finds that entitlement to this increased rating arose on September 7, 2023.
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