The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his car accident during service. The acquired psychiatric disorder has been rated at 30%.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no current diagnosis associated with the Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition and opined that it was less likely than not incurred in or caused by the car accident during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder arthritis, left rotator cuff tear, right rotator cuff repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- March 9, 2017
- Citation
- 1707329
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 1707329.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions including bilateral shoulder arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, neck pain, arthritis of the low back, and right hand arthritis due to inconsistencies in his statements regarding the onset and chronicity of symptoms.
- Granted
The Board has found that the Veteran experienced arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, hips, lumbar spine, and left knee since active duty service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for entitlement to service connection for bilateral shoulder arthritis due to an inadequate VA examination and potential outstanding private records.
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