The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial rating for his right shoulder disability, finding that December 23, 2016 was the earliest legally assignable effective date for service connection. The claim for an increased rating is also denied as there is no evidence of motion limitation sufficient to warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent and contemporaneous medical evidence demonstrating that his right shoulder disability warranted a higher initial rating or earlier effective date than December 23, 2016.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Arthritis, Right Shoulder Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 31, 2024
- Citation
- A24070779
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,645 · Granted: 19% (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 A24070779.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions at the time of the June and August 2025 decisions. The cases will be returned to the AOJ for further development.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and increased rating for his right shoulder disability was denied. The Board found that the earliest claim for service connection was filed on June 3, 2024, and thus no earlier effective date is warranted.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis was granted, effective August 19, 2024. The decision is based on the merits of the case and not due to any presumption or new evidence.
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