An earlier effective date of August 11, 2014, is granted for the 30 percent rating assigned for right carpal tunnel syndrome.,An earlier effective date of August 20, 2013, is granted for the award of a 20 percent rating for right shoulder tendonitis.,A total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from August 11, 2014, to October 16, 2020, is granted.
The deciding factor: The effective dates are determined by the date VA received the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and the date entitlement was factually ascertainable.,An earlier effective date of August 20, 2013, is granted as there is evidence showing an increase in severity of the right shoulder disability prior to this date.,A TDIU is granted from August 11, 2014, to October 16, 2020, based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluding him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- Right CTS, Right Shoulder Tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- January 5, 2024
- Citation
- 24000897
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (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 24000897.
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 the cause of the Veteran's death was cardiopulmonary arrest due to aspiration, and they have found a duty to assist error in their initial decision. They are now requesting a medical opinion to determine if the service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.
- Granted
The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis is rated at 20 percent from February 6, 2017. The rating for thoracolumbar spine intervertebral disc syndrome remains at 40 percent prior to September 22, 2025 and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded claims for multiple other disabilities, including left and right ankle, CTS, IBS, knee, shoulder, sleep apnea, and back conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease of the lower back, sleep apnea, bilateral chronic venous insufficiency, and a bilateral knee disability. The appeal was dismissed for an effective date prior to December 28, 2006, for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
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