The Veteran's right shoulder disability has not been productive of limited motion to midway between side and shoulder level, so the claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s range of motion was consistently above 90 degrees, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it would need to be at or below 45 degrees (midway between side and shoulder level).
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder impingement syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- July 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20048742
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 20048742.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The VA will obtain new opinions from different VA examiners to address whether the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service, including exposure during combat.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 31, 2023.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding no evidence linking his current condition to military service or any service-connected disability.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue regarding radiculopathy of left lower extremity. The Veteran's degenerative disc disease with spondylolisthesis, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and radiculopathy of the right lower extremity are all granted as secondary to service-connected conditions.
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