The Veteran's initial ratings for right foot plantar fasciitis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint degenerative disease with bicep tendonitis and partial subscapularis tendon tear, right shoulder glenohumeral degenerative joint disease (DJD), cervical spine DJD prior to March 2, 2017, cervical spine DJD since March 2, 2017, thoracolumbar spine DJD prior to August 1, 2014, and PTSD prior to March 1, 2017 have all been denied.,The Veteran's initial rating for thoracolumbar spine DJD since August 1, 2014 and PTSD since March 1, 2017 has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support the assignment of higher ratings based on the presence of additional functional loss or other factors such as pain, weakness, fatigue, or incoordination.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Foot Plantar Fasciitis, Left Shoulder Acromioclavicular Joint Degenerative Disease with Bicep Tendonitis and Partial Subscapularis Tendon Tear, Right Shoulder Glenohumeral Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD), Cervical Spine DJD, Thoracolumbar Spine DJD, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18100969
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 18100969.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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