The Veteran's left shoulder disability is manifested by pain with movement of the arm beyond shoulder level, which is the equivalent of limitation of motion to shoulder level. A 20 percent rating is granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5201 for limitation of motion to shoulder level, but not in excess thereof.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative joint and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, Dislocations of the left shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 24, 2009
- Citation
- 0906811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,582 · Granted: 32% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 0906811.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, including associated lower extremity neurologic manifestations, are granted. The case is remanded for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's cervical spine disability is currently rated at 20 percent, which reflects moderate limitation of motion without ankylosis or incapacitating episodes.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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