The Board denied the Veteran's claims for additional ratings under different diagnostic codes and separate rating for nonunion with loose movement or analogous to loose movement, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the March 1998 rating decision.
The deciding factor: The Board found that separate ratings distinguishing between right shoulder limitation of motion including as due to pain and guarding due to pain or dislocations under Diagnostic Code 5202 would violate anti-pyramiding provisions, and that nonunion with loose movement or analogous to loose movement under Diagnostic Code 5203 could not be assigned for the Veteran's symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Instability, Degenerative Arthritis (Major)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 23, 2026
- Citation
- A26015998
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 A26015998.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's right shoulder disabilities are rated based on limitation of motion and impairment, with the highest possible ratings not being assigned.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and shoulder and knee conditions, do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment prior to November 12, 2014.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent for limited extension and a separate rating of 20 percent for meniscal disability. The right shoulder disability was granted a 40 percent rating from June 19, 2019 onwards.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased rating for the Veteran's right shoulder instability, finding that symptoms of pain and limited motion did not warrant a higher rating.
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