Shoulder decisions — 2005

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or sufficient medical findings to support the requested benefits.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, right elbow, and left shoulder disorders. The claim for an initial compensable disability rating for residual scar from laceration of the left flank is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's left foot, right foot, cervical spine, low back, right ankle and right shoulder disabilities were not present in service or until many years thereafter, and they are not related to service or to an incident of service origin, or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine, right shoulder, and right foot disabilities. The initial evaluations were found to be appropriate based on the current clinical findings.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding no new and material evidence to support these claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a left leg disability, arthritis of the hands, neck, shoulders and legs, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected right shoulder disorder was denied as there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent hospitalizations due to the disability. The Board found that the veteran had provided false testimony regarding his employment status and concluded that his service-connected right shoulder condition did not cause significant interference with his employment.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of a right shoulder injury, finding that the evidence does not support such a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations for his right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in service or due to his service-connected knee disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a shoulder disorder, asbestosis, and a lung disease (other than asbestosis), as well as PTSD. The evidence did not support a link between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for his service-connected PTSD, left shoulder disability, and TDIU. The RO granted a 40 percent rating for the left shoulder disability effective July 28, 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity, in combination, that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and employment experience.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder condition, with osteoarthritic changes of the acromioclavicular joint, warrants a 20 percent evaluation. The sinusitis issue is not addressed as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a chronic joint disorder or an undiagnosed chronic disability, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a bilateral hip disability, and disabilities of the low back, upper spine, neck, and shoulders. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for a right thigh and knee disability is also denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral forearm, wrist, and shoulder disabilities. However, further development is needed to determine whether his right elbow injury warrants service connection.

The Board has determined that the service-connected low back disability was an underlying cause of the veteran's death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent, the left wrist disability at 10 percent, hearing loss and tinnitus were not found to be related to military service, and degenerative arthritis of the low back warranted a 10 percent rating.

The Board denied an increased rating for COPD, finding that the veteran's pulmonary function tests did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claims for initial ratings of 20% and above for acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease with impingement syndrome of both shoulders, and for patellofemoral arthritis of the right knee were remanded.