The Veteran's headaches are found to be related to an in-service head injury.,The current left shoulder and right shoulder disorders do not appear to be directly related to service, as there is no evidence of chronic symptoms within the presumptive period or post-service injuries.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners are conflicting regarding whether the Veteran's current shoulder conditions are related to his in-service duties. The examiner found that the left hand and right hand disorders were not caused by service-connected bilateral hand injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Headaches, Left Shoulder Disorder (Glenohumeral and Acromioclavicular Osteoarthritis, Rotator Cuff Tendinitis), Right Shoulder Disorder (Glenohumeral and Acromioclavicular Osteoarthritis, Rotator Cuff Tear), Left Hand Disorder, Right Hand Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20080299
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeal in September 2025, stating that she is now 100% permanently and totally disabled effective April 29, 2025.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with TBI and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for headaches as secondary to PTSD with TBI due to a duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction and remanded the claims for a sleep disorder and headaches to ensure proper development of evidence.
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