The Veteran's appeals for increased disability evaluations for his right and left shoulder disabilities were dismissed because the issues were already pending in a Higher-Level Review, which was not withdrawn before filing the Board appeal.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had already submitted a request for a Higher-Level Review of the same claims prior to filing the Board appeal, violating the rules on concurrent elections.
- Claimed conditions
- bicipital tendonitis, subscapularis tendonitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26033154
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 A26033154.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed all appeals related to temporary total disability ratings for shoulder disabilities and the award of TDIU with an effective date prior to March 25, 2015.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left shoulder disabilities were denied because she failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate examination addressing all diagnosed conditions, including right shoulder strain, bicipital tendonitis, and glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain with bicipital tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, glenohumeral joint instability, and degenerative arthritis as a direct result of an in-service injury.
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