The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder degenerative changes is a current disability and was incurred in service, resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports the Veteran’s assertions of having a chronic right shoulder disability since service, including post-service treatment records and lay statements from family members who observed symptoms prior to filing the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder degenerative changes, right shoulder impingement syndrome, rotator cuff tendonitis, glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation, osteoarthrosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18158058
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 18158058.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities are causally linked to his in-service injuries sustained during active duty for training.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected headaches were granted a rating of 50 percent, and she was also granted TDIU, DEA, and SMC for the period from March 27, 2017, to August 20, 2017.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome, allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. However, it granted service connection for headaches and remanded the claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood and alcohol use disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine disability, numbness of upper extremities, right shoulder impingement syndrome, allergic rhinitis, and scars.
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