The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for status post left shoulder subluxation, finding that the evidence did not reach equipoise as to whether such a higher rating was warranted.
The deciding factor: The most probative evidence does not show functional impairment equivalent to limited motion of the arm to 25 degrees from the side during periods of flare-ups or after repetitive use over time.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Subluxation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19181057
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,890 · Granted: 32% (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 19181057.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's ratings for right and left shoulder subluxation were restored to 20% effective September 1, 2019.,A staged increased rating of 70% was granted for panic disorder with agoraphobia from March 7, 2019, through October 10, 2022.
- Granted
The Veteran's left and right shoulder subluxations are rated at the maximum available rating of 40 percent each, based on limitation of motion. The appeal is granted.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.
- Granted
The VA has granted a 10% rating for the veteran's left shoulder subluxation, effective from March 27, 1993. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.