Shoulder decisions — 2001

The veteran has been granted service connection for a chronic headache condition and gastrointestinal disability, but her claims for other conditions are denied.,Service connection is also granted for degenerative joint disease of the left knee.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder and degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, as well as an increase in his rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's keloids of the chest, back, thigh, neck, and abdomen. The initial compensable evaluation for the right biceps, left shoulder, and pubic area scars remains denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a thyroid disorder, heart disorder, arthritis of the shoulders, feet, and hands, left elbow cubital tunnel syndrome, and bilateral inguinal hernia.

The RO has confirmed and continued the 20 percent evaluations for fibromyositis, generalized, left shoulder, right shoulder, and back. The appellant's unemployability is attributable to nonservice connected disabilities.

The veteran's request for an increased evaluation of his residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left shoulder, minor extremity, with weakness of muscles was denied. His PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes due to his various disabilities, including cholecystitis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, pneumonia with infected pleural fluid, right empyema, cystitis with hematuria, anemia, degenerative joint disease of the shoulders and neck, torn left rotator cuff, peptic ulcer disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the RO's decision denying service connection for hearing loss, left elbow disability, right knee disability, and left shoulder disability was not well-grounded. The claims are denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for the service-connected residuals of left elbow dislocation and did not address the reopening claims due to insufficient evidence.

The Board found that the April 1979 and July 1980 rating decisions denying service connection for a right shoulder disability were not based on clear and unmistakable error. The claim was denied as there is no evidence of missing service medical records, and an earlier effective date cannot be granted due to lack of applicable legal criteria.

The Board denied service connection for bloody stools, abdominal pain, skin rash, and nose bleeds as there were no objective indicators of an undiagnosed illness. Service connection was granted for hemorrhoids (incurred in service) and gastritis (also incurred in service).

The veteran's service-connected right shoulder and left knee conditions have been rated at the maximum available rating of 10 percent. The hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have epididymitis, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The RO will attempt to locate additional health care records pertaining to the veteran's shoulder disabilities.

The VA has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability, which is currently rated at 40 percent, does not warrant a higher evaluation as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other conditions that would justify a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is denied as there was no earlier effective date granted.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected left shoulder capsulitis, effective from August 14, 1998.

The RO denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury in August 1979, and his appeal to reopen this claim was denied again in February 1999. The evidence submitted since then does not provide new or material information that would allow the claim to be reopened.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for heart disorder, right shoulder disorder, and bilateral knee disorder due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for the veteran's left shoulder disability, which is characterized by severe acromioclavicular arthritis and frozen shoulders.

The Board denied the claims for an increased rating for service-connected left shoulder clavicle fracture and service connection for upper back, left arm muscle group, and left arm nerve disabilities secondary to the service-connected left shoulder clavicle fracture due to lack of well-groundedness.