The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated as 10 percent disabling prior to July 30, 2009. From November 1, 2009 to July 28, 2011, the disability was rated at 20 percent. Since then, it has been rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's request for higher ratings and service connection were denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of the left shoulder condition during the relevant periods.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- April 29, 2015
- Citation
- 1518457
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 1518457.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to his obesity, which was caused by his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, left knee degenerative joint disease, and right knee degenerative joint disease. As such, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to these conditions has been granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of evidence. The Veteran is also reminded that he must cooperate with VA by submitting completed forms and providing relevant information.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inconsistencies in the opinions provided by a nurse practitioner regarding the Veteran's flare-ups and their impact on disability ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which manifested pain at 25 degrees of flexion and abduction, is granted a 30 percent disability rating for the entire initial rating period prior to March 1, 2018.
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