The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disorder caused or aggravated his left shoulder disorder.
The deciding factor: The June 2022 medical opinion is inadequate and does not provide separate findings and rationales for causation and aggravation. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding overuse of his left shoulder to compensate for symptoms from his right shoulder disability, nor explain how this relates to his current left shoulder disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2022
- Citation
- 22054688
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 22054688.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not require regular aid and assistance from another person as a result of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder.,Service connection is also granted for these conditions based on direct evidence of a nexus to service.
- 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.
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