The Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate any incident of a left shoulder injury during his active duty. The VA examiner found no evidence to support the claim that the current left shoulder impingement syndrome and arthritis are related to service, as there is no recorded evaluation of the Veteran's 1953 injury in the claims file.
The deciding factor: The absence of documented treatment for the claimed disability within one year after separation from active duty makes it difficult to establish a presumptive service connection. The lack of contemporaneous medical evidence and the passage of many years between discharge from active service and the medical documentation of the claimed disability are also against the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of a left shoulder injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 29, 2009
- Citation
- 0924399
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0924399.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for hypogonadism with fatigue, GERD, and a right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's left rib disability was denied, and the ratings for his left shoulder injury, left hip bursitis, impairment of the left thigh, left knee retropatellar pain syndrome limitation of extension, and left ankle sprain were either granted or denied with specific rating percentages.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU based on this.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is granted entitlement to specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, which preclude locomotion without the aid of a cane. The issue of eligibility for a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury and heart disability due to missed VA examinations, finding good cause.
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