The Board granted a separate rating of 20 percent for painful motion associated with the left shoulder disability, effective August 20, 2009.
The deciding factor: The weight of evidence demonstrated that the limitation of range of motion of the left shoulder was separate and distinct from the painful motion on flexion resulting in functional loss, allowing a separate rating under DC 5201 for limitation of arm motion at the shoulder level without violating the rule against pyramiding.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic left shoulder ligamentous strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 24, 2025
- Citation
- 25005577
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (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 25005577.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating greater than 20 percent for chronic left shoulder ligamentous strain prior to May 11, 2016 was denied. The Board found that the current 20 percent rating under DC 5202 adequately addresses all functional limitations and impairments of the left shoulder, including limitation of motion due to pain.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected musculoligamentous strain, right knee, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.
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