The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder strain is secondary to his service-connected back injury. The VA examiner was asked to provide opinions on whether the Veteran would have current left shoulder strain without his service-connected disabilities and if it would be less severe with those disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the August 2024 VA medical opinion was inadequate as it did not address aggravation of the left shoulder strain by the service-connected back injury, failed to apply the 'but for' causation standard, and utilized an incorrect causation standard.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 13, 2026
- Citation
- A26033636
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 A26033636.
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 Veteran's hypertension, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder disability are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran is also remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine and for service connection for sleep apnea.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for additional examination.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial 10% disability rating for left shoulder strain was upheld as there was no clear and unmistakable error in the September 2010 Rating Decision.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and low back disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.
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