The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain with torn rotator cuff and lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion was found inadequate due to lack of consideration of chronicity of symptoms and etiology. The private clinician's opinion was considered more reliable as it took into account the Veteran's medical history and provided explanatory rationales.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain with torn rotator cuff, lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2024
- Citation
- A24069358
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,934 · Granted: 41% (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 A24069358.
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The Board has withdrawn the appeal for an increased evaluation for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome and has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The AOJ will consider any additional evidence when readjudicating the claim.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy due to procedural errors in obtaining private medical records.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for increased disability ratings for lumbosacral strain with intervertebral disc syndrome and left lower extremity radiculopathy involving the femoral nerve.
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