The Board found no evidence of a right shoulder disability that is separate and distinct from the service-connected bilateral thoracic outlet syndrome and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's current right shoulder disability, if present, does not meet the criteria for SMC.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has been diagnosed with multiple disabilities affecting her upper extremities during active service, including thoracic outlet syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome. A separate right shoulder disability was not found to be present or related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Right Shoulder Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2013
- Citation
- 1312792
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 1312792.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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