The Veteran's claims for service connection of his left shoulder injury and cervical strain were denied. His claim for a compensable rating for the residuals of his left hand laceration, including consequent scar, was granted with an initial noncompensable (0 percent) rating retroactively effective from August 19, 2004.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records did not show any in-service injury or illness related to the claimed conditions. The VA examinations confirmed that his current disabilities are not linked to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- May 15, 2014
- Citation
- 1422045
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 1422045.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew their appeal for a rating in excess of 40 percent for left shoulder status post resection distal end clavicle, with acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy affecting both upper and lower extremities, while dismissing the claim for cervicogenic headaches.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, right upper extremity radiculopathy, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, and right lower extremity radiculopathy, have resulted in a combined rating of 60 percent as of March 15, 2019. The Board has granted an earlier effective date for TDIU to this point.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU grant.
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