The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected right shoulder disability from June 2, 2011 is denied. The appeal for entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for another VA opinion addressing secondary causation.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder disability has not been supported by evidence showing limitation of motion to midway between side and shoulder level or limited motion to 45 degrees on either flexion or abduction. The appeal for sleep apnea is remanded as the June 2021 VA addendum opinion did not address obesity as a possible intermediary step between his service-connected psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Obesity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2022
- Citation
- 22006819
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 22006819.
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 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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is secondary to her service-connected PTSD and obesity. The decision also acknowledges the Veteran's participation in a TERA during service.
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