The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disorder, which was manifested by chronic pain, weakness, stiffness, and loss of motion (flexion to at least 45 degrees and abduction to at least 90 degrees), did not warrant a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports consistently showed the Veteran's left shoulder had limited range of motion but no ankylosis, recurrent dislocation, or significant degenerative changes that would justify higher ratings under other diagnostic codes. The Veteran’s symptoms were primarily pain and stiffness with some limitation in abduction and flexion.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 6, 2013
- Citation
- 1328586
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 1328586.
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.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, right ankle disorder, and anxiety disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly regarding his shoulder disorders and nasal surgeries. The claims for service connection have been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not being granted earlier than November 25, 2019.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disorders due to inadequate etiology opinions in the previous decision. The case will be reviewed with a VA examiner to determine if there is any relationship between the Veteran's current shoulder conditions and his military service.
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