The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder strain, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's condition is related to his time in service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's lay statements regarding continuous shoulder symptoms since service credible and consistent with his MOS as an aircraft mechanic, outweighing the negative opinion from a VA examiner who noted inconsistent medical records post-service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21007034
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 21007034.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the claims for bilateral shoulder strain, ankle tendonitis, and patellofemoral pain syndrome due to inadequate VA opinions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is related to service, resolving all doubts in his favor. The evidence shows a current diagnosis of bilateral shoulder strain and degenerative arthritis, which the Veteran attributes to injuries sustained during military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for middle back strain. The claims of service connection for PTSD, bilateral hip sprain, and bilateral shoulder strain are remanded due to a duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral shoulder strain, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
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