The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability did not manifest in service or within one year following his separation from service, and is not otherwise etiologically related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it was less likely than not that the Veteran's arthritis in his right shoulder was proximately due to or the result of his service-connected disabilities, including his gunshot wound injury and cervical spine disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder, Degenerative changes of the cervical spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 8, 2016
- Citation
- 1635222
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 1635222.
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.
- Granted
The reduction of the evaluation from 50 percent to 20 percent for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder was improper, and the 40 percent evaluation is restored.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to attempt rescheduling the Veteran's missed VA examinations.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the cervical spine and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that new evidence supports these claims. Service connection is also granted for a musculoskeletal disability of the neck/upper back.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 15, 2012. The Board granted a total disability rating for compensation due to his unemployability.
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