The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no in-service injury to the left shoulder and no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The current condition is attributed to aging progression rather than an in-service event.
The deciding factor: There was no documented injury to the left shoulder during service, and the Veteran's current condition is more likely due to natural aging progression rather than a service-connected incident.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Impingement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19165401
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 19165401.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, shoulder impingement, shoulder arthroscopic scars, painful scar of the right shoulder, and knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with chondromalacia and Baker's cyst. Service connection was also denied for bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate medical opinions in a previous decision. The Veteran's disabilities are related to his military service, particularly his September 1965 motor vehicle accident.
- Denied
The Veteran's left shoulder disability, specifically left shoulder impingement with status post rupture of biceps, is rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the Veteran’s range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his arm could still reach above shoulder level.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder impingement with SLAP lesion warrants a 20 percent evaluation, effective May 1, 2002. The evidence does not support an increase in disability rating beyond this level.
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