The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of a right shoulder condition was granted. His initial rating for radiculopathy, right lower extremity, was increased from 10% to 20%. The earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and mood disorder due to chronic pain with depressive features were granted. However, the earlier effective date for DDD thoracolumbar spine was denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran presented new evidence that established a current right shoulder condition which had not been previously considered in his previous claim.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Right Shoulder Condition"}, {"condition_name":"Radiculopathy of Right Lower Extremity"}, {"condition_name":"Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy"}, {"condition_name":"Mood Disorder due to Chronic Pain with Depressive Features"}, {"condition_name":"Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) of Thoracolumbar Spine"}
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19191514
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 19191514.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Dismissed
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