The Board remands the case for an additional medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability caused a worsening of functionality in his left shoulder disorder.
The deciding factor: The examiner did not address whether the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability caused a worsening of functionality, as required by Spicer v. McDonough, 61 F.4th 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2023).
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disorder
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2025
- Citation
- A25022564
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 conditions, including a head injury, headache disorder, erectile dysfunction, left earache disorder, chronic fatigue, right shoulder disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, right foot disorder, GERD, and left shoulder disorder, as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions.
- Dismissed
The veteran withdrew the appeal for all service connection and rating issues, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review these matters.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinea pedis of the left foot and remanded claims for a bilateral foot disorder, cervical disorder, left shoulder disorder, lumbosacral disorder, right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and eardrum disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a right shoulder disorder, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, and no evidence linking them to his military service.
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