The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various disabilities, including a right shoulder disability and conditions secondary to it, as there was no evidence that VA treatment caused additional disability beyond what would have occurred due to pre-existing conditions.
The deciding factor: The weight of the evidence did not support a finding that VA's carelessness or negligence proximately caused any additional disability beyond what would have occurred due to the Veteran's pre-existing right shoulder condition and related surgeries.
- Claimed conditions
- right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, cervical strain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, hyperlipidemia with carotid artery disease/coronary artery disease, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2025
- Citation
- 25008544
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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