The Veteran seeks an effective date prior to April 20, 2018 for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for his service-connected left and right shoulder disabilities. The RO found that no earlier effective date is warranted as the increase in disability did not occur within one year of the claim.,The Veteran also seeks an increased disability rating for his left and right shoulder disabilities, which are currently rated at 20 percent each. The Board finds that a new VA examination is necessary to determine the current severity of these disabilities.
The deciding factor: The effective date for the award of a 20 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected left and right shoulder disabilities cannot be earlier than April 20, 2018 as no increase in disability occurred within one year prior to the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disability, Right Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20020749
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 20020749.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities are remanded. The claim for sleep disorder (claimed as sleep apnea) remains denied.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date before April 1, 2018 for a 20% rating for left shoulder disability was denied. The appeal also resulted in the assignment of a 20% rating from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018, and a TDIU granted from April 1, 2018 to September 3, 2025.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding insufficient evidence to establish an in-service event or injury related to his shoulders. The Veteran's current shoulder conditions are not linked to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, low back condition, bilateral knee disabilities, and left shoulder strain have been granted service connection. The Veteran's low back condition has been increased to a 40 percent evaluation, while the bilateral knee conditions remain at their current 10 percent evaluations.
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