The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities to correct pre-decisional errors, specifically the failure to provide adequate VA examinations.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not providing an adequate examination that addresses the Veteran's lay statements and service treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder degenerative osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25023305
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 prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, specifically to obtain relevant Social Security Administration records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, and back degeneration due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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