The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder disabilities are secondary to his service-connected left ankle disability. The case needs a new VA examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examiner did not address both causation and aggravation in the context of secondary service connection, which is required for an adequate opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- rotator cuff tear, labral tear, acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, bicep tendinopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2022
- Citation
- 22066623
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 22066623.
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 Veteran's right shoulder disorder and right knee strain are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are caused or aggravated by his service-connected internal derangement of the left knee, considering whether obesity is a substantial factor in their development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the current medical opinion is inadequate and the record is incomplete without other opinions. The Veteran's left shoulder disorder may be related to service, but a VA examination is needed to determine if it was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding no evidence linking his current condition to military service or any service-connected disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018. The right shoulder disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018.
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