The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a different examiner regarding the etiology of his diagnosed conditions.
The deciding factor: An inadequate nexus opinion was provided by the November 2019 VA examiner, and thus an addendum opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability had its onset during service or is otherwise related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative arthritis, left shoulder impingement syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2023
- Citation
- 23044074
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 23044074.
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 Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner regarding which symptoms are related to his service-connected left trapezius strain and whether any non-service-connected conditions represent a progression of that disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for SMC based on loss of use of the left upper extremity is remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding her service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder impingement syndrome as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or event that could be linked to his current condition.
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