The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disorders and right and left knee disorders, finding that there was not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support these claims.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions found no credible evidence linking the current diagnoses to service, with risk factors such as age and obesity being more significant than any in-service injury or exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disorders, Left Shoulder Disorders, Right Knee Disorders, Left Knee Disorders
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20076608
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 20076608.
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).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder disorders, right shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, left ankle disorder, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral knee disorders, prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work history. The Board granted the TDIU claim based on these conditions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the appeal is remanded for several issues, including increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, as well as earlier effective dates. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right and left knee disorders due to a lack of updated VA examinations. The claims are currently pending.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right and left knee disorders, lumbar spine disorder, asthma, and fibromyalgia, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His TDIU claim is granted.
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