Shoulder decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and attempting to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, bilateral ankle disability, and bilateral arch disability. The veteran was granted service connection for tension headaches and left shoulder disability but with noncompensable ratings.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left shoulder impingement syndrome, but denied an initial compensable evaluation for post traumatic arthritis of the right wrist.

The VA has granted a 10% rating for the veteran's left shoulder subluxation, effective from March 27, 1993. The evidence does not support an increase in this rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not incur or aggravate right or left shoulder disorders in military service and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities effectively confine him to a wheelchair and preclude locomotion, meeting the criteria for specially adapted housing assistance.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right shoulder disorders, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his claim for a left knee disorder and concluding that there is no competent medical evidence linking current right shoulder disorders to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, left shoulder disability, headaches (due to a concussion in service), left ankle disability, hemorrhoids, and rash on the right foot.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected right knee and shoulder disabilities, with ratings of 20 percent each.

The Board has granted service connection for a seizure disorder and assigned a 100 percent rating for PTSD. The remaining issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, shoulders, and knees, and for prostatitis, and entitlement to a higher initial rating for Hepatitis C rated zero percent disabling are REMANDED.

The Board has granted an increased rating to 20 percent for the veteran's residuals of a right shoulder injury, which equates to limitation of motion at the shoulder level.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to evaluate the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being considered.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from obtaining or retaining a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating for compensation purposes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability, which is rated at 50 percent disabling, does not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The evaluation of his service-connected condition as 50 percent disabling is upheld.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension and chronic cervical spine disorder are related to service, but his left shoulder disorder is not. The case is being remanded for further development.

The veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability was denied an increased rating higher than 20 percent prior to February 14, 2003 and of a rating higher than 30 percent beginning February 14, 2003.

The Board finds that the veteran's left shoulder disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for an increased initial rating for his left shoulder disability and service connection for a left ankle disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation or service connection.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle arthritis, left ankle disability, and right shoulder disability due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities related to service.