The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a neck and shoulder disability, as well as a disability manifested by numbness in the bilateral arms (excluding hands), due to an undiagnosed illness. The VA is required to obtain new medical opinions to address the Veteran's contentions regarding Persian Gulf War exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA medical opinions were inadequate and did not adequately address the Veteran's contention that his claimed conditions are related to his service in the Persian Gulf War.
- Claimed conditions
- neck and shoulder disability, disability manifested by numbness in bilateral arms
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2023
- Citation
- 23026474
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 23026474.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for gastrointestinal problems and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the back. The claims for other conditions were remanded due to inadequate VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and diagnoses of record for a cervical spine disability and bilateral shoulder disability. The claims for headaches, back pain, and numbness in the arms have been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a neck and shoulder disability, including arthritis, and a bilateral foot condition, including flatfeet, metatarsalgia, and hallux valgus. The reasons are that the Veteran's service treatment records were not found, and further examination is needed to determine if her current disabilities are related to her active duty service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability for which service connection is sought. As such, no service connection is granted.
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