The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tear and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis are secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disorders, thus granting service connection for these conditions.
The deciding factor: The opinion of Dr. C.J.C., a private chiropractor, supported by physical evaluation of the Veteran's pain and ROM in the February 2017 VA examination, provided sufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran’s right shoulder disorders to his service-connected left shoulder disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000513
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 20000513.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis is related to an in-service injury. The claim will be returned for further review.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine, left knee strain, right knee strain, right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and left shoulder strain. The Board found that these conditions are related to the Veteran's in-service parachute jump landing.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The claims for service connection and rating determinations have become moot.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for right knee strain, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, and right shoulder rotator cuff tear due to inadequate medical opinions in the November 2020 rating decision. The VA is required to obtain an addendum opinion from a clinician to determine if these conditions are related to service.
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