The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder and left elbow disorders, but denied service connection for thoracic spine, right elbow, and cervical spine disorders. The Veteran's fibromyalgia claim was not addressed as it was characterized incorrectly.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the etiology of the left shoulder and left elbow disorders, with credible statements from the Veteran supporting his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Shoulder Disorder, Left Elbow Disorder, Thoracic Spine Disorder, Right Elbow Disorder, Cervical Spine Disorder, Fibromyalgia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2026
- Citation
- 26001214
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 26001214.
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 Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, right ankle disorder, and anxiety disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly regarding his shoulder disorders and nasal surgeries. The claims for service connection have been remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not being granted earlier than November 25, 2019.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection based on CUE in rating decisions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection based on CUE in rating decisions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection based on CUE in rating decisions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection based on CUE in rating decisions have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection based on CUE in rating decisions have been dismissed.
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