The Board has denied service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder as secondary to a service-connected injury, and has granted a 10% rating for the service-connected left forearm laceration. The claim for reopening the right hand and right fingers disability was also denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no credible medical evidence linking the current shoulder condition to the service-connected injury, and concluded that the shoulder condition is less likely than not related to the service-connected injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Arthritis of the left shoulder, Degenerative joint disease of the right hand and right fingers
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2009
- Citation
- 0935220
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 0935220.
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: Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection and has determined that he is entitled to service connection for osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine with bilateral IVDS, left shoulder arthritis, and right shoulder arthritis. The decision resolves all doubt in favor of the Veteran.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative changes of the lumbar spine and arthritis of the left shoulder, finding that these conditions were aggravated by active duty service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded four issues: increased ratings for trapezius muscle injury and left upper extremity radiculopathy, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder. The Veteran is to be scheduled for VA examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities and their etiology.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of various joints, all secondary to his service-connected psoriasis. The appeals are remanded for further development regarding an increased rating for psoriasis.
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