The Board has determined that the July 2025 rating decision, which assigned a 20 percent evaluation for right shoulder strain, is inadequate due to an incomplete and potentially flawed VA examination. The Veteran's testimony indicates that the examiner did not fully test his joints under active motion and forced him past the point where pain began without documenting this clearly.
The deciding factor: The Board found the August 2024 VA medical examination inadequate as it failed to comply with Correia v. McDonald (38 C.F.R. § 4.59) by not testing joints for pain on both active and passive motion, and did not provide a clear range of motion where pain began.
- Claimed conditions
- Right shoulder strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2026
- Citation
- A26010780
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 A26010780.
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 has denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as there is no evidence that he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected conditions leave her in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder strain, finding that the Veteran's condition began during his military service and is related to an in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder strain and migraine headaches are granted. The claim for migraine headaches is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.
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