The Board granted service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear, with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis and left shoulder rotator cuff tear with labral tear, including SLAP.
The deciding factor: The evidence supports that the Veteran's right shoulder condition began during active service, and there is relative equipoise as to whether compensating for the right shoulder disorder led to a disability in the left shoulder during service.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder rotator cuff tear, with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, left shoulder rotator cuff tear with labral tear, including SLAP (superior labral anterior-posterior lesion)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 24, 2024
- Citation
- A24068785
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, left shoulder bicipital tendon tear, hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, and left carpal tunnel syndrome. The claims for increased ratings for lumbar spondylosis with facet arthropathy and lumbosacral strain, right hip strain with osteoarthritis, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, left and right ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome (to include iliotibial band syndrome), and chronic right wrist sprain were denied. The Board also granted an effective date of July 7, 2023 for the award of increased ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder rotator cuff tears due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the Veteran's complete service treatment records.
- Partly granted
The appeal was dismissed for the right shoulder rotator cuff tear, sleep apnea was granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD, and left shoulder degenerative arthritis and back injury were denied.
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