The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability, diagnosed as rotator cuff tendinitis, impingement syndrome, and degenerative tear of the rotator cuff, did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence showing a link between his active duty service and his current condition.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was no direct evidence linking the Veteran's current shoulder disorder to his military service, as evidenced by the absence of any documented injury or treatment related to the left shoulder during service. The private medical opinion provided in October 2012 suggested a link between the 1969 incident and the current condition but this opinion was not supported by contemporaneous records.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disorder, rotator cuff tendinitis, impingement syndrome, degenerative tear of the rotator cuff
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 19, 2016
- Citation
- 1633016
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 1633016.
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 Veteran's service connection claims for lumbosacral strain, asthma, melasma and hydradenitis, hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression, anxiety, and stress), left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, a left foot disorder, and IBS have been granted. The remaining issues are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he does not require regular aid and assistance from another person as a result of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder.,Service connection is also granted for these conditions based on direct evidence of a nexus to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found new and relevant evidence to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, foot, and back disorders. The underlying merits of these claims must be addressed by the AOJ.
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