The Board found no evidence of a right shoulder injury during service and concluded that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to his active duty. The claim for service connection was denied.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined there was no evidence linking the current right shoulder condition to service, including an acute injury in 1976 and a history of dislocation shortly after discharge.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder degenerative joint disease, right shoulder ligament tears
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 15, 2016
- Citation
- 1610303
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1610303.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal to sever service connection for right shoulder degenerative joint disease is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are severe enough to require the aid and attendance of another, effective April 3, 2020. The appeal for SMC based on housebound status is dismissed as moot due to the award of SMC under section 1114(l).
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability may have pre-existed service and is requesting further medical opinion to determine if it was aggravated by service. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.
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