The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder bicipital tendonitis, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.
The deciding factor: VA examiners found no evidence of nonunion or dislocation of the clavicle or scapula, impairment of the humerus, limitation of arm motion at shoulder level or below, or ankylosis in either shoulder. The Veteran's symptoms were deemed exaggerated and not supported by physical examination findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Bicipital Tendonitis, Left Shoulder Bicipital Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2013
- Citation
- 1317718
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 1317718.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are granted due to his service-connected PTSD, which is rated as 70 percent disabling since June 16, 2016. The additional disabilities do not meet the criteria for a single disability rated at 100%.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities resulted in a temporary total rating for convalescence and SMC based on housebound criteria from November 1, 2018, to February 1, 2019. The extension of the rating was granted due to complications following surgery.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's VR&E services are being remanded due to a significant change in her disability picture and an increase in severity of her service-connected disabilities, necessitating further evaluation by a VRC or other VR&E specialist.
- Denied
The Veteran's right shoulder bicipital tendonitis has been rated at 40 percent since May 20, 2014. The Board denied a higher rating as the disability does not warrant an increase to more than 40 percent.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.