The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for left index finger disability, and the appeals for compensable rating for left shoulder scar and restoration of 30% rating for degenerative joint disease of the left (minor) shoulder are dismissed as withdrawn. The appeal for increased ratings for left shoulder arthritis is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for reopening service connection for left index finger disability, for a compensable rating for left shoulder scar, and for restoration of 30% rating for degenerative joint disease of the left (minor) shoulder prior to the Board's decision. The appeal for increased ratings for left shoulder arthritis is denied as there is no evidence showing motion limited to 25 degrees from the side.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19142812
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,374 · Granted: 19% (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 19142812.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to his obesity, which was caused by his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, left knee degenerative joint disease, and right knee degenerative joint disease. As such, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to these conditions has been granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of evidence. The Veteran is also reminded that he must cooperate with VA by submitting completed forms and providing relevant information.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to inconsistencies in the opinions provided by a nurse practitioner regarding the Veteran's flare-ups and their impact on disability ratings.
- Granted
The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which manifested pain at 25 degrees of flexion and abduction, is granted a 30 percent disability rating for the entire initial rating period prior to March 1, 2018.
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