The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claims for low back strain, left hand strain, right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, neck strain, and left ankle strain due to insufficient medical opinions and missing service treatment records.
The deciding factor: The medical opinion provided was inadequate as it did not consider all relevant evidence, including the Veteran's testimony about his in-service injuries. The Board also noted that legible copies of the Veteran's complete service treatment records are needed for a new medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- low back strain, left hand strain, right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, neck strain, left ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2021
- Citation
- 21071141
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 21071141.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including the one for an increased rating for low back strain.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge, and the medical opinion found that his current condition is not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for athletes' foot, low back strain, and plantar fasciitis due to a lack of a VA examination prior to the August 2020 rating decision.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder disability are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran is also remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine and for service connection for sleep apnea.
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