The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his 2005 surgical treatment at a VA Medical Center, and if so, whether they were proximately caused by carelessness, negligence, or similar fault on the part of VA.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the provided opinions did not adequately address the Veteran's claims for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to insufficient rationale and reliance solely on the absence of in-service treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder impingement, cervical strain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, hyperlipidemia with carotid artery disease/coronary artery disease, carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23017652
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 23017652.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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