The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service injury and the current disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners' opinions that the Veteran's current shoulder disability was not related to his in-service injury carried great probative value, and there was insufficient evidence of continuity of symptomatology or chronicity within one year of service separation to support a presumption of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 12, 2025
- Citation
- A25023095
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.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeals for earlier effective dates related to various left and right hip, knee, shoulder, and other conditions as they were freestanding claims not continuously pursued from the initial rating decisions.
- Partly granted
The appeal was denied for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, while other issues were remanded for further evidence and examination.
- Granted
The Board granted the appeals for severance of service connection for neck, left shoulder, and left upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as entitlement to service connection for headaches.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, and degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine. The rating for the Veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the right wrist/arm was restored to 20 percent effective June 1, 2024.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.