The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his left shoulder condition has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support granting a rating greater than 20 percent.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner noted reduced muscle strength in the left shoulder, which affects forward flexion and abduction, but did not address the Veteran's complaints of popping in his shoulder or other issues such as instability or labral pathology.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Degenerative Joint Disease, Left Acromioclavicular Joint Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 28, 2016
- Citation
- 1638320
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 1638320.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's left shoulder condition, including degenerative joint disease and a rotator cuff tear, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support an increase in rating beyond this level.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not establish that his service-connected disabilities had precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Granted
The Board has revised the October 2015 rating decision to grant a 30 percent evaluation for left shoulder disability, effective June 24, 2011, based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE).
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right and left shoulder degenerative joint disease, as well as service connection for tinnitus, were denied. The effective dates for these decisions are July 20, 2016.,It was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's shoulder conditions had increased in severity within a year prior to July 20, 2016.
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