The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions in the February 2020 VA examination. The case is being returned for new addendum opinions addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder, stomach, cervical spine, and lumbar spine disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the February 2020 VA medical opinion was inadequate as it did not substantially comply with the September 2019 remand directives regarding the Veteran's lay statements for each of his conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Stomach Disability, Cervical Spine Disability, Lumbar Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 12, 2021
- Citation
- 21029210
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21029210.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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