The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis and low back degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service injuries. The decision is based on credible lay evidence of continuity of symptoms.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's statements regarding the onset of symptoms during service and their persistence post-service to be credible and considered them in conjunction with the medical opinions provided by VA examiners, which were negative but did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay assertions.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder arthritis, low back degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- March 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19115444
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 19115444.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right hip condition, left hip condition, low back disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, as there was no evidence of in-service injury or illness related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a right shoulder injury to the agency of original jurisdiction for an adequate medical opinion that considers relevant lay statements and addresses right shoulder arthritis.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right shoulder arthritis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining claims were remanded to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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