The Veteran's appeal was denied as his service-connected left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and he cannot receive a higher rating. His claim for restless leg syndrome was also denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show the Veteran had a diagnosis of restless leg syndrome that was etiologically related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder strain, rotator cuff tendonitis, acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- March 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26025241
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 A26025241.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification from the August 2017 VA examiner regarding which symptoms are related to his service-connected left trapezius strain and whether any non-service-connected conditions represent a progression of that disability.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's hypertension, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder disability are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran is also remanded for a rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the spine and for service connection for sleep apnea.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disorder and right knee strain are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are caused or aggravated by his service-connected internal derangement of the left knee, considering whether obesity is a substantial factor in their development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for additional examination.
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