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Denied

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent prior to January 19, 2011 and increased to 30 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than 20 percent prior to January 19, 2011 or 30 percent thereafter.

The deciding factor: The Veteran's right shoulder disability demonstrated limited motion with pain but never reached the level required for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

Claimed conditions
Right Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear with Probable Labral Tear
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
20%
Decision date
March 9, 2018
Citation
1815146

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 1815146.

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