The Veteran's left shoulder disability, specifically his left rotator cuff tendonitis, is currently rated at 30 percent disabling. The Board found that the symptoms more closely approximated a limitation of motion to midway between side and shoulder level.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s range of motion was shown to approximate 25 degrees from the side, which meets the criteria for a 30% rating under Diagnostic Code 5201. The Board found that his symptoms did not more nearly approximate unfavorable ankylosis required for a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Rotator Cuff Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19143778
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,104 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19143778.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's left shoulder disability, specifically his rotator cuff tendonitis, was rated at 20 percent from December 5, 2011 to July 25, 2014. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating and denied an initial evaluation greater than 20 percent for this period.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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