The Board has denied service connection for right and left shoulder rotator cuff tears and impingement with acromioclavicular arthritis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations found no evidence of chronic symptoms related to the claimed in-service injuries or illnesses, and the medical opinions provided by VA examiners were more probative than the Veteran’s assertions regarding the onset and continuity of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear, Left Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 13, 2021
- Citation
- 21002256
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 21002256.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his left shoulder rotator cuff tear is granted, with the effective date set at January 17, 2020.
- 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.
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