The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disability.
The deciding factor: The previous VA examinations were inadequate as they did not address causation and aggravation, which are required elements for secondary service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder acromioclavicular osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2025
- Citation
- A25031687
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 the veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, including bicipital tendon tear, rotator cuff tear, and tendinosis, as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or chronicity of symptoms to support a direct link between the current condition and active duty.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to the agency of original jurisdiction for a medical opinion on the nature and etiology of any right shoulder disorder.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, which is the maximum schedular rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability to obtain a medical opinion regarding whether it is related to his service-connected left shoulder disability.
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