The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 25, 2005 for the 30 percent disability rating of left upper extremity radiculopathy but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for DDD of the cervical spine with spondylosis and adhesive capsulitis of the left shoulder.
The deciding factor: The evidence was in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy manifested in incomplete moderate paralysis during the time on appeal, thus the Board afforded the Veteran the benefit of the doubt. For the other conditions, the claims were not continuously pursued and the rating decisions were final.
- Claimed conditions
- adhesive capsulitis of the left shoulder, degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the cervical spine with spondylosis, left upper extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25102558
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 910 · Granted: 31% (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 A25102558.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal seeking to establish entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) is dismissed because the AOJ decision was merely implementing a Board's earlier effective date decision for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence for a schedular rating, and the issues are inextricably intertwined.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, as secondary to tinnitus, is granted. The claims for service connection for hearing loss disability and a disability manifested by shortness of breath other than chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are denied. The claims for service connection for an intestinal disability (diverticulitis), fatigue, hypertension, neck disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, upper and lower back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, right foot pain, left foot pain, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder are all denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error and inextricably intertwined issues. Specifically, a new VA medical opinion is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disability.
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