The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder degenerative joint disease to obtain an addendum opinion regarding their relationship to in-service events.
The deciding factor: An inadequate VA examination opinion is provided, necessitating a new addendum opinion due to reliance on the lack of evidence in service treatment records without considering other relevant factors.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative joint disease, right shoulder degenerative joint disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25032400
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, granted a 30% rating for hyperacusis from January 31, 2008, and granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.
- Partly granted
The Board granted revision of the April 2007 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) for right shoulder degenerative joint disease, assigning a 10 percent rating effective January 1, 2007. Other claims were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's right shoulder, left shoulder, thoracolumbar spondylosis, cervical spondylosis, and both lower extremity radiculopathies as they were not incurred in or caused by his active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to conflicting information regarding the Veteran's ability to perform daily activities.
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