The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition and a cervical spine condition, but has remanded the cases of bowel incontinence and headache condition due to insufficient medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions that were not sufficiently supported by rationale or evidence, necessitating further examination and opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Condition, Cervical Spine Condition, Bowel Incontinence, Headache Condition
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23005582
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 23005582.
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 Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder condition or neck condition, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied. The claims of service connection for a neck condition as secondary to a service-connected right wrist condition and for bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and potential gaps in documented medical treatment.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition, finding it directly related to the Veteran's military service. The effective date is October 24, 2025.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted earlier effective dates of April 1, 2016 for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance, loss of use of both feet, and under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) and (r)(1).,These awards are in full grant of the benefit sought as the Veteran's attorney explicitly requested an effective date in April 2016.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.