The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral shoulder and elbow conditions are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The current disabilities are considered to be unrelated to his service-connected gout.
The deciding factor: The April 2006 VA examination report concluded that the veteran's bilateral shoulder and elbow conditions were not related to his service-connected gout.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Shoulder Arthritis, Bilateral Elbow Epicondylitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2007
- Citation
- 0727039
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 0727039.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to errors in the rating and service connection determinations for his hearing loss disabilities, shoulder pain, and arthritis. The issues of right ear hearing loss disability, bilateral shoulder pain (right), and residual of pain status-post right rotator cuff tear repair are being addressed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disorders due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's lay contentions regarding his in-service injuries are considered, but the VA examiner did not provide a rationale for rejecting these contentions despite the Veteran's history of heavy lifting during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding the restoration of benefits due to an incarceration adjustment. The remaining claims for service connection and rating issues are remanded.
- Granted
The Board finds that the veteran's low back disability is service-connected and grants a compensable rating. The bilateral shoulder arthritis is not service-connected. The tonsillectomy residuals are rated at the maximum available under VA regulations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.