The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his left shoulder osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tendonitis, following total joint replacement surgery, was denied as the highest allowed rating under applicable criteria is 50 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s left shoulder disability affects his non-dominant arm, which entitles him to a maximum 50 percent disability rating. The law disposes of the matter in favor of the VA's decision.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- December 9, 2020
- Citation
- A20018230
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 knee, bilateral shoulder, low back and bilateral hip disabilities based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 30 percent for his right shoulder disorder.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left shoulder condition, diagnosed as rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that the evidence of record does not support a causal relationship between the in-service injury and the current disability.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that these conditions are due to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar myositis with radiculopathy.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.