The Board remands the claims for service connection for compressed vertebrae in neck, left shoulder strain, right shoulder disorder, left hip disorder, and right hip disorder to ensure that VA adequately attempts to obtain private medical records from Desoto Medical Center.
The deciding factor: There was a duty to assist error as there were minimal VA medical treatment records associated with the file and the few available noted that the Veteran has been treated by a private primary care physician at Desoto Medical Center, necessitating remand for further evidence collection.
- Claimed conditions
- Compressed vertebrae in neck, Left shoulder strain, Right shoulder disorder, Left hip disorder, Right hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 7, 2024
- Citation
- A24073116
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 bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a right shoulder disorder as there was no probative evidence of current disabilities as defined by VA.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for PTSD and an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for a left shoulder strain.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable disability rating for chronic kidney disease and service connection for blurry vision, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder strain.
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