The Veteran's right shoulder disability, diagnosed as DJD, was found to not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to December 20, 2010. From December 20, 2010 to May 18, 2011, his disability was rated at 30 percent and from July 1, 2012 onwards, it remained at the same level of 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right shoulder disability did not result in functional limitation of his arm midway between side and shoulder level or ankylosis of the scapulohumeral articulation during the relevant periods.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the Right Shoulder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21032652
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 21032652.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's right shoulder disability, prior to January 6, 2017 and as of May 1, 2017, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 20 percent.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy was rated at 40 percent disabling from October 10, 2018. The combined rating of his service-connected disabilities is currently 90 percent since September 11, 2019, which meets the criteria for TDIU. However, the Board has remanded the issue due to inadequate discussion in the previous decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination. The new examination must consider flare-ups and provide estimates of additional loss of range of motion during such periods.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board found the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, and his scars do not meet criteria for a compensable rating. The DJD of the right shoulder requires further examination to determine its severity.
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