Veterans’ RightsAn independent resource for veterans
← All decisions
Denied

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition was not aggravated beyond its natural progression during military service. The case is remanded to obtain an opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's tension headaches.

The deciding factor: The examiner opined that the Veteran's in-service injuries did not aggravate his pre-existing shoulder condition, and there is no medical evidence supporting a nexus between the current left shoulder condition and service. For the tension headache, the Board remanded for an opinion as the previous VA examination report was missing.

Claimed conditions
left shoulder condition, tension headache
How they argued it
Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
April 9, 2025
Citation
A25032812

Veterans Law Judge

MICHAEL MARTIN

Decisions by this judge: 2,188 · Granted: 23% (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 A25032812.

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.

Free starter guide for your own claim

Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.

We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.

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.