The Veteran's claim for an effective date of July 15, 2013 for the grant of service connection for a left shoulder disability is granted. The initial rating for a left shoulder disability remains at 20 percent. The claim for TDIU earlier than September 25, 2020 is denied.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined based on the date entitlement arose (July 15, 2013) and not the date of claim (August 14, 2012). The Veteran's left shoulder disability does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating as there is no evidence of impairment of the humerus, ankylosis, or limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side. For TDIU, the Veteran was found unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, migraine headaches, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, neck disability, back disability, right knee disability, right heel disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26016458
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 A26016458.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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