The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of chronic symptoms during or after service and insufficient medical evidence to establish a link between current disabilities and service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners found no indication of any treatment sought until 2011, and arthritis is most often due to the organic causality of age. The Veteran's service treatment records and separation examination did not show reports of a shoulder injury, and he was not diagnosed with arthritis until October 2011.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Strain, Glenohumeral Joint Osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 30, 2019
- Citation
- 19196811
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (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 19196811.
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 appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and increased rating for his right shoulder disability was denied. The Board found that the earliest claim for service connection was filed on June 3, 2024, and thus no earlier effective date is warranted.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis was granted, effective August 19, 2024. The decision is based on the merits of the case and not due to any presumption or new evidence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left shoulder strains, finding that the current ratings of 20% are appropriate based on limited motion in both shoulders.
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