The Board denied a higher disability rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5201.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's range of motion in his dominant arm was found to be limited but not to the extent required for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 5201.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear, Impingement, AC Joint Degenerative Joint Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- December 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20081605
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,757 · Granted: 23% (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 20081605.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on several conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals.,The Board has not assigned a specific rating or effective date as the claims are being remanded.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability and scar was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other criteria.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal of a proposal to reduce the disability rating for right shoulder rotator cuff tear because it was not within the Board's jurisdiction to adjudicate such a non-final decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, GERD, shoulder, hand, and knee conditions, have rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 26, 2025.
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