The Board denied service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, RIGHT elbow disorder, and LEFT elbow disorder. Service connection was granted for left lower extremity radiculopathy / sciatica as secondary to a service-connected low back disorder. Temporary total ratings under 38 C.F.R. § 4.29 were denied due to lack of VA hospitalizations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current bilateral shoulder, RIGHT elbow, and LEFT elbow conditions are not causally or etiologically related to his active military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder arthritis, right elbow tendinitis, left lower extremity radiculopathy / sciatica
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- 20081419
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,156 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20081419.
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 Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions including bilateral shoulder arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, neck pain, arthritis of the low back, and right hand arthritis due to inconsistencies in his statements regarding the onset and chronicity of symptoms.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and hearing loss. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.
- Granted
The Board has found that the Veteran experienced arthritis of the bilateral shoulders, hips, lumbar spine, and left knee since active duty service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for right elbow and right knee disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations from August 2019. The AOJ is now directed to schedule new VA examinations.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.