The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and increased rating for his right shoulder disability was denied. The Board found that the earliest claim for service connection was filed on June 3, 2024, and thus no earlier effective date is warranted.
The deciding factor: The effective date of an award based on a claim cannot be earlier than the date of receipt of the claim, which in this case was June 3, 2024. The Veteran's right shoulder disability has not resulted in limitation of motion to the extent that would warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Strain, Right Shoulder Tendinopathy/Tendinitis, Right Shoulder Superior Labrum Anterior to Posterior (SLAP) Tear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- April 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26037543
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 A26037543.
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 Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left shoulder strains, finding that the current ratings of 20% are appropriate based on limited motion in both shoulders.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis was granted, effective August 19, 2024. The decision is based on the merits of the case and not due to any presumption or new evidence.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service injury.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's request to revise a September 2013 rating decision that assigned a 10 percent evaluation for right shoulder strain based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The RO correctly applied the existing regulations at the time, finding the Veteran's symptoms did not warrant a higher evaluation.
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