The Veteran's appeal of the initial rating assigned for her service-connected left shoulder disability is remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The right elbow and bilateral plantar fasciitis appeals are also remanded, as well as the cystic acne with scarring appeal which requires a retrospective opinion.,The TDIU appeal is also remanded due to insufficient development of evidence regarding employment in a protected environment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's initial rating for her service-connected left shoulder disability must be reconsidered as the examination reports are inadequate. The right elbow and bilateral plantar fasciitis appeals require additional examinations, while the cystic acne with scarring appeal requires a retrospective opinion to determine when the impairment began.,For the TDIU appeal, the AOJ needs to request a statement from the Veteran's employer regarding accommodations made for her work during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability, Right Elbow Disability, Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis, Cystic Acne with Scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23062470
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 23062470.
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 service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder and cervical pain but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board also granted ratings of 10 percent or 20 percent for several conditions from specific dates.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, a low back disability, a left knee disability, and a left shoulder disability as there was no evidence to support that these conditions were incurred in or caused by the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and multiple musculoskeletal conditions but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
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