The Veteran received emergency shoulder surgery on June 21, 2010 due to severe and persistent shoulder pain that was causing suicidal ideation. The VA facility was not feasibly available until late November 2010.,On October 25, 2010, the right shoulder surgery was deemed unnecessary as the Veteran's right shoulder pain was less severe than his left shoulder pain.
The deciding factor: The June 21, 2010 surgery was for a condition of such severity that delay would have been hazardous to health.
- Claimed conditions
- shoulder pain, rotator cuff tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1454438
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 1454438.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's low back disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018. The right shoulder disability is granted a rating of 40 percent effective August 31, 2018.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tear, and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis due to stress on his joints from training and parachute jumps during active service. The evidence considered included the Veteran's statements, a private medical opinion, and a buddy statement.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's right shoulder disabilities, and a new VA examination is needed to determine their likely etiology.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder osteoarthritis with rotator cuff and labral tears as secondary to his service-connected status-post clavicle fracture. The appeal regarding an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for depression was withdrawn by the Veteran.
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