The Board remands the claims for service connection for left bicipital tendon rupture and hypothyroidism to correct a pre-decisional error, as an adequate VA examination has not been provided.
The deciding factor: The January 2015 examination is inadequate because it does not address the relevant evidence of record, including the Veteran's documented in-service left bicep rupture. Additionally, the November 2018 and August 2021 examinations are also inadequate as they do not consider or discuss medical evidence of left bicep pain or elicit information regarding the symptomatology of the claimed condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left bicipital tendon rupture, hypothyroidism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25048665
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 a deviated septum and denied compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, hypothyroidism, and hypertension.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism, as it is presumptively linked to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.
- Denied
The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected hypothyroidism and remanded the claim for service connection for lipomas (claimed as cysts surgery).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism secondary to in-service toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) based on the Veteran's conceded in-service jet fuel fumes exposure.
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