The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right shoulder instability, finding that symptoms of pain and limited motion did not warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations found no additional functional loss due to flare-ups or repetitive use over time, and the Veteran was able to perform repetitive use tests with no range of motion loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Instability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000730
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (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 20000730.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for additional ratings under different diagnostic codes and separate rating for nonunion with loose movement or analogous to loose movement, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the March 1998 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's right shoulder disabilities are rated based on limitation of motion and impairment, with the highest possible ratings not being assigned.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and shoulder and knee conditions, do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment prior to November 12, 2014.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent for limited extension and a separate rating of 20 percent for meniscal disability. The right shoulder disability was granted a 40 percent rating from June 19, 2019 onwards.
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.