You carried equipment weighing more than your body. You pulled yourself over walls, rappelled down cliffs, and threw yourself into positions that protected your unit but punished your joints. Now your shoulder won’t lift like it used to—and the pain that started as an occasional ache has become a constant companion.
Army personnel experience shoulder injuries at rates higher than nearly any other military branch, and those injuries don’t always heal when service ends.
Whether you damaged your shoulder during airborne operations, hand-to-hand combat training, or years of carrying rucksacks and weapons systems, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes these injuries as potentially service-connected disabilities.
At the Law Office of Sean Kendall, we've spent decades building Veterans disability claims that overcome VA skepticism and secure the benefits service members earned. Whether you're filing an initial claim or appealing a denial, our attorneys provide representation that understands both VA procedures and the physical demands that damaged your shoulder during Army service. Contact us today to learn how we can help you.
What Makes Army Shoulder Injuries Different From Civilian Cases?
Army training and operations place extraordinary stress on shoulder joints that civilian occupations rarely replicate. Airborne soldiers experience repeated impact trauma during parachute landings. Infantry personnel carry 80-pound rucksacks for miles over uneven terrain. Combat engineers lift heavy equipment overhead in positions that strain rotator cuffs beyond normal limits.
These repetitive motions and acute traumas create injury patterns the VA should recognize—but doesn’t always acknowledge without proper documentation.
Why Do Standard Medical Records Sometimes Miss the Connection?
Many Veterans leave service with shoulder pain but without a formal diagnosis in their military medical records. You might have been told to “tough it out” or given ibuprofen without imaging studies. Years later, when civilian doctors diagnose a rotator cuff tear or chronic instability, the VA may question whether the injury truly connects to your service.
This documentation gap doesn’t mean your claim lacks merit. It means you need to build a bridge between your current diagnosis and your military service—showing how the demands of your Army career caused or aggravated the shoulder damage you’re experiencing now.
How Do Common Army Shoulder Injuries Qualify for VA Disability?
The agency rates rotator cuff injuries based on range-of-motion limitations. However, pain and weakness matter, too—even if you can technically move your arm through most positions, chronic pain that prevents you from working or performing daily activities should factor into your disability rating.
Medical evidence becomes critical. The VA wants to see:
- MRI or ultrasound imaging. These studies confirm the presence and extent of tendon damage, showing whether you have partial fraying, full-thickness tears, or multiple tendon involvement.
- Range of motion measurements. Your doctor should document specific degree limitations when you try to lift your arm forward, to the side, and behind your back.
- Functional impact statements. Describe what you can’t do anymore—whether that’s lifting your child, reaching overhead shelves, or maintaining employment that requires shoulder use.
Shoulder Dislocations and Chronic Instability
Some Army Veterans experience shoulder dislocations during service. Even a single severe dislocation can damage the cartilage ring that stabilizes the joint and create chronic instability. Recurrent dislocations or subluxations (partial dislocations) indicate ongoing joint damage that the VA should rate appropriately.
Evidence for instability claims should include imaging that shows labral tears or stretched ligaments, documentation of how many times your shoulder has dislocated since service, and medical opinions explaining why your joint remains unstable despite treatment.
Arthritis and Degenerative Joint Damage
Years of heavy lifting, impact trauma, and overhead work accelerate shoulder joint degeneration. What might have started as minor cartilage damage during service can progress to significant arthritis much earlier than typical age-related joint wear.
The VA rates shoulder injuries based on pain, stiffness, and functional limitation rather than just what shows up on X-rays. You might have moderate arthritis on imaging, but severe pain that prevents employment. Both factors matter when determining your rating.
What Evidence Strengthens an Army Shoulder Injury Claim?
The VA requires proof that your shoulder injury began during service or was the result of service activities. This evidence might include:
- Incident reports or medical records. Any documentation showing you injured your shoulder during training, deployment, or military operations creates a clear service connection.
- Fellow service member accounts. Buddy statements help verify that you experienced shoulder problems during service, even if formal medical records don’t exist.
- Lay statements. This is your own detailed report of when and how your shoulder injury occurred, what symptoms you experienced during service, and how the condition has progressed since separation.
Current Diagnosis and Severity Evidence
The VA also needs to know exactly what’s wrong with your shoulder right now. Schedule a thorough examination with a doctor who understands military-related injuries and can document:
- Specific diagnoses. Rotator cuff tear, labral damage, arthritis, impingement syndrome—get the precise medical terminology for your condition.
- Objective measurements. Range of motion in degrees, strength testing results, and imaging findings that show structural damage.
- Treatment history. Document all physical therapy, injections, medications, and surgeries you’ve undergone.
Effective nexus opinions reference your specific military occupational specialty, the physical demands of your duties, and how those demands correlate with your current shoulder pathology. Generic statements don’t carry the same weight as detailed medical opinions that show a clear understanding of both your service history and your shoulder condition.
How Does Our Veterans’ Lawyer Sean Kendall Support Your Shoulder Injury Claim?
Incomplete evidence is a common reason for VA denials—often not because the injury isn’t service-connected, but because required documentation is missing or insufficient. We’ll provide guidance for moving forward with the right paperwork.
Additionally, VA compensation & pension exams are often rushed or inadequate, especially when examiners lack experience with military-related shoulder injuries. In these cases, our legal team will challenge the exam and request a proper evaluation.
If the VA assigns a rating that understates your shoulder’s impact, The Law Office of Sean Kendall can appeal by submitting:
- Independent medical evaluations.
- Updated range-of-motion testing.
- Evidence showing the injury limits your ability to work.
This process might include highlighting secondary conditions that stem from chronic shoulder injuries, such as:
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Mental health conditions
The VA system requires specific evidence presented in particular ways, but with proper documentation and our trusted legal guidance, Veterans with Army-related shoulder injuries can secure the disability ratings and benefits their conditions deserve.
