The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not service-connected because there was no chronic condition during service and no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the current disability is related to service.
The deciding factor: There was no chronic left shoulder disability noted in service, and the Veteran's reported history of injury is inconsistent with the medical records which do not show any complaints or treatment for left shoulder issues during service. The VA examiner opined that the current degenerative changes are less likely caused by a previous in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18127581
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 18127581.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extension of a temporary total rating for his left shoulder disability, finding that he did not require convalescence beyond August 31, 2011 following his surgery.
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