The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, as his other non-service-connected conditions and age also limit his ability to work.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple non-service-connected health issues that significantly impact his ability to perform occupational tasks, making it unlikely he is prevented from securing any substantially gainful occupation solely by reason of the service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder separation, left shoulder surgical scarring
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21010873
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 21010873.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.
- Granted
The Board has granted an increased rating of 30 percent for the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder separation, effective from the date of the decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and TDIU prior to January 12, 2017. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total rating based on individual unemployability prior to that date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his TDIU claim. The Board finds that the left shoulder disability does not meet the schedular requirements for a higher rating, but refers the case to VA’s Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.
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