The Veteran's right shoulder condition is remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his left shoulder conditions, which may affect his rating.
The deciding factor: The Board found a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in not obtaining an opinion regarding the newly diagnosed left shoulder conditions and their relationship to the service-connected left AC joint osteoarthritis.
- Claimed conditions
- left AC joint osteoarthritis, left shoulder impingement surgery, partial supraspinatus tear, left AC joint separation, residuals of left shoulder arthroscopic subacromial depression, debridement of rotator cuff tear, open distal clavicle resection
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2026
- Citation
- A26027903
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 A26027903.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in a previous VA examination, and an additional opinion is needed regarding the Veteran's right shoulder disability.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection claim for a left shoulder disability, diagnosed as left AC joint osteoarthritis, is granted. The rating for his cervical spine disability remains at 10 percent prior to March 18, 2019 and 20 percent thereafter.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his right shoulder disability was dismissed due to his death.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, at worst, is manifested by pain that functionally limits right arm motion to midway between side and shoulder level. The criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent have not been met or approximated.
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