The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain degenerative joint disease and cervical spine condition effective from August 15, 2018. Service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and right carpal tunnel syndrome was also granted but with an earlier effective date of August 15, 2018.
The deciding factor: The Veteran continuously pursued his claims by filing successive appeals after the initial denial in 2014, which preserved the earliest possible effective date of September 23, 2013 for left shoulder and cervical spine conditions. However, the claim for carpal tunnel syndrome was denied initially in 2014 and reopened in August 2018.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain degenerative joint disease, cervical spine condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 27, 2020
- Citation
- A20009363
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 A20009363.
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 Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for treatment purposes only under Chapter 17 for various conditions, including cervical spine condition, right upper extremity nerve condition, left upper extremity nerve condition, headache condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral pes planus, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left knee disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for both a lower back condition and a cervical spine condition, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for the proposed reduction of facial scars, an increased rating for tinnitus, and service connection for migraines have been dismissed due to untimely filings or lack of good cause.
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