The Board has determined that the VA addendum medical opinions obtained in August 2020 are inadequate for adjudication purposes and requires additional medical comment. The claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability, to include as secondary to a cervical spine disability, and for a cervical spine disability, to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability, are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found the prior VA addendum opinions inadequate due to insufficient causation and aggravation findings and rationale. The claims require additional medical comment addressing both causation and aggravation aspects of the secondary service connection theory.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Cervical Spine Disability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2023
- Citation
- 23006794
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 23006794.
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 cervical spine disability, right knee strain (painful motion), and right knee instability are now rated at 30 percent effective August 16, 2017.
- 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.
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