The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent on and after October 23, 2019, for scar, surgical, left shoulder is dismissed. A 10 percent rating, and no higher, is granted for the same condition prior to October 23, 2019. The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder rotator cuff tear with left triceps muscle injury is remanded due to worsening symptoms since the last VA examination. Service connection for headaches is also remanded as there are insufficient records to determine if they had their onset in service or are otherwise related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent on and after October 23, 2019, for scar, surgical, left shoulder. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's painful left shoulder scar warrants a 10 percent disability rating. For the remanded issues, additional development is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's conditions and determine if they are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- scar, surgical, left shoulder, left shoulder rotator cuff tear with left triceps muscle injury, headaches
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23045827
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 23045827.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was reopened due to new and material evidence, and the Board found that his current headaches are related to service. Service connection is granted.
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