The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for increased rating of left shoulder strain with arthritis is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for service-connected left shoulder strain with arthritis is denied. The current evaluation of 20 percent is the highest possible under applicable diagnostic codes.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sinus condition, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness from Persian Gulf War service, is denied.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that a formal or informal claim for increased evaluation of left shoulder strain with arthritis was received prior to October 1, 2015. The effective date cannot be set earlier than this date.,The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder strain with arthritis has resulted in pain and limitation of motion of the arm above shoulder level. However, his muscle strength is normal, and there is no evidence showing that the range of motion is limited to 25 degrees from the side as required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5201.,The Veteran's sinus condition has not been diagnosed by medical professionals and does not meet the criteria for a qualifying chronic disability under VA regulations. The symptoms reported do not align with any known clinical diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain with arthritis, sinus condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19166123
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 19166123.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a deviated septum and chronic sore throat, dismissed the issue of a sinus condition, and remanded claims for asthma, hypertension, and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar condition and PTSD, with specific ratings and effective dates.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for a sinus condition due to multiple pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including the need to obtain private treatment records and schedule a VA examination.
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