The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including shoulder, hip, ankle, and spine issues, are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide adequate opinions on whether the Veteran's conditions are related to his service or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of Right Lower Extremity, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of Left Lower Extremity, Right Shoulder Condition, Left Shoulder Condition, Right Hip Condition, Left Hip Condition, Lumbar Spine Condition, Cervical Spine Condition, Left Ankle Condition, Right Ankle Condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 11, 2023
- Citation
- A23028033
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 A23028033.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between any current disability and service.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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