The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability, including degenerative joint disease and rotator cuff repair, is related to his service. The decision grants service connection for this condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence shows a pre-existing injury but does not clearly and unmistakably show it was aggravated during service, thus allowing for service connection based on the current disability.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder degenerative joint disease, status post clavicle fracture, rotator cuff repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006208
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (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 20006208.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Dismissed
The appeal to sever service connection for right shoulder degenerative joint disease is dismissed.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are severe enough to require the aid and attendance of another, effective April 3, 2020. The appeal for SMC based on housebound status is dismissed as moot due to the award of SMC under section 1114(l).
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the condition had its onset in service. The decision also assigns a 100% rating.
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