The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and the left ankle disability remains at 10 percent. The decision also denies a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left ankle.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left shoulder abduction was not limited to midway between side and shoulder level, which is required for a higher 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5201. For the left ankle, the examination showed moderate limited motion but no marked limitation as required for a higher 20 percent rating.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendinopathy, left lateral collateral ligament sprain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19132587
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 19132587.
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the May 6, 2025, rating decision that proposed to sever service connection for a left lateral collateral ligament sprain is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and examinations.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, post-operative residuals of cervical spine surgery, L5 bilateral spondylosis with grade 1 anterolisthesis, moderate-severe foraminal stenosis, left hip osteoarthritis, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left carpal tunnel syndrome, left lateral collateral ligament sprain, pes planus, and type II diabetes mellitus. The service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed migraine headaches, left knee strain, right knee strain, left lateral collateral ligament sprain, and right lateral collateral ligament sprain as they are proximately due to his service-connected tinnitus and bilateral flat feet respectively.
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