The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, including whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examiners did not adequately address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, particularly in relation to his service-connected PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder strain, right shoulder impingement syndrome, right glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, right acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right shoulder tendinopathy, right shoulder tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- 26001969
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 26001969.
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.
- Dismissed
Your appeal for an increased rating for right shoulder tendinopathy, currently rated at 30 percent, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The Board cannot issue a decision on this claim as it is no longer pending.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after discharge, and the medical opinion found that his current condition is not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected left shoulder tendonitis, right shoulder tendonitis, left knee tendonitis, and right elbow tendinitis (impairment of supination and pronation) have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected right elbow tendinitis (limitation of flexion) has also been denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
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