The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability as it was not shown to be caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability. The Board also denied an increased rating for the left knee, finding that the current 30 percent rating adequately represented the severity of the disability.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish a causal relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder disability and his service-connected left knee disability or demonstrate that the left knee disability had caused a significant increase in the severity of the left shoulder condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Left shoulder disability, Left knee instability
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- February 17, 2009
- Citation
- 0905588
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities, as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable criteria.
- Granted
The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for osteoarthritis of the right hand and service connection for a left shoulder disability.
- Dismissed
The appeals for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals at a December 2024 Board hearing. The remaining claims are being remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for left and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome but granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability. The claim for service connection for a back disorder was remanded.
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