The Veteran's claims for service connection for left arm and left shoulder disabilities, as well as his appeals for increased ratings for the residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left thoracic area and associated scar, were denied due to lack of evidence supporting the presence of current disabilities or their relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's claimed conditions were related to his service-connected disability or otherwise incurred in or aggravated by service. The VA examination found no pathology to support a diagnosis of left arm or shoulder disorders, and there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to either service or a service-connected disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- left arm disability, left shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2009
- Citation
- 0908547
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for various musculoskeletal conditions of the left and right hands, shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and foot, but granted service connection for a right knee disability and fibromyalgia. The decision was based on medical evidence that did not support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
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