The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, finding that December 1, 1994 is the earliest possible effective date as it was the date of receipt of the claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's January 1981 claim for 'muscle spasms' did not include a claim for shoulder disabilities. The April 1982 SOC denied service connection for muscle spasms, but did not provide reasons for denial. The Veteran did not appeal this decision and the issue was considered abandoned. A December 1, 1994 claim for arm disability led to a grant of service connection for bilateral shoulders.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2024
- Citation
- 24031554
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 945 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 24031554.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and increased ratings for her bilateral knee disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning the service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral ankle, hip, shoulder, and knee disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder and heat sensitivity.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his claims.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disability and hypertension as there are no longer any pending issues in controversy. The Veteran's combined disability rating is 100%, but his TDIU claim is moot due to the presence of other disabilities.
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