The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for rotator cuff tendinitis of the left shoulder and tendinopathy of the right shoulder, finding that there was no limitation of motion at shoulder level in either shoulder to warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s range of motion did not result in limitation of motion near or at the shoulder level for either shoulder, which is insufficient to warrant a 20 percent rating under DeLuca v. Brown (1995).
- Claimed conditions
- rotator cuff tendinitis, tendinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19103146
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,037 · Granted: 21% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103146.
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 Board granted service connection for a right arm disability, diagnosed as right shoulder strain, tendinopathy, tendinosis, and degenerative joint disease, based on the evidence showing that these conditions initially manifested during service and continuously progressed and worsened after discharge.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right shoulder pain as the evidence did not support a nexus between the Veteran's condition and his active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left hip disability is being remanded due to the need for an updated opinion on whether his current condition is aggravated by his service-connected conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, hammer toes, hallux valgus, tendinopathy, and sinus tarsi syndrome are granted an initial 50 percent rating. The Veteran's hypertension is denied as not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.