The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not reach equipoise as to whether the Veteran had separate and distinct shoulder conditions from those already service-connected (radiculopathy), or if any new condition was related to service. The Board also noted that there was no indication of arthritis within a year of service, and the Veteran's statements about continuity of symptoms were inconsistent with STRs.
- Claimed conditions
- Right shoulder condition, Left shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20006373
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the cervical spine, cervical radiculopathy of the left arm, back disability, left elbow condition, left shoulder condition, left wrist condition, left hand condition, hypertension, and an initial rating of 10 percent for coronary arteriosclerosis prior to September 24, 2024.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for vertigo, secondary to tinnitus and a compensable rating for the cesarean section scar. The claims for service connection for left ankle condition, right ankle status post achilles tendon repair, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, osteoarthritis of both hips, right wrist condition, and left wrist condition were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and a compensable rating for further development, including scheduling new VA examinations.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss but denied service connection for a back condition, left foot disability, right foot disability, and right shoulder condition.
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