The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability and TDIU was denied. The evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for the left shoulder disability, as flexion and abduction were limited to 90 degrees, which does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 5201. For TDIU, since no single service-connected disability is rated at least 40%, the schedular threshold requirement for TDIU was not met.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's left shoulder disability warranted a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria under Diagnostic Code 5201. Additionally, no single service-connected disability rated at least 40% allowed for an additional disability to bring the combined rating to 70%, as required by 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder AC Joint Arthritis, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with Depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072874
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,776 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20072874.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
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