Shoulder decisions — 2006

The veteran's service-connected above-the-knee amputation has led to secondary shoulder, knee, and hip disabilities. However, there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right shoulder and left knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical arthritis. The veteran's claim to reopen his residuals of a back injury and shoulder nerve pain and numbness is also granted.

The Board denied an increased rating for right shoulder disability and service connection for right arm and hand disabilities due to lack of evidence supporting the claims.

The veteran's initial claims for increased ratings for his bilateral shoulder disabilities have been denied. The RO has granted a noncompensable rating for the left shoulder disorder and a 10 percent rating for the right shoulder disorder prior to March 8, 2004, with a subsequent 20 percent rating thereafter.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and records to determine if his left shoulder and elbow degenerative joint disease are related to service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's right ankle and left shoulder disabilities have been rated based on their current symptoms, with no higher evaluations warranted due to the lack of more severe limitation of motion or other criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and right shoulder disorder are not directly related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a disability rating and effective date determination.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of December 1, 1993 for a 30 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, low back, and psychiatric disabilities. The veteran's claims for left shoulder, wrist, knee, ankle, cervical spine, head injury residuals, and headache disabilities were also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a right shoulder disability, finding no current diagnosis of either condition that meets regulatory requirements.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, finding no current disability or evidence of in-service injury that would support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the veteran's right shoulder disabilities and his current headache disability. The appeal is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability, finding that the preponderance of the evidence is against these claims. The claim for service connection for a left knee disability was granted.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, low back disability, and psychiatric disorder. The veteran's claims were based on direct evidence rather than presumptions or other theories.

The Board finds that the veteran's current left and right foot disabilities, as well as his left shoulder impingement syndrome, are related to service. However, there is no evidence of a current left ankle disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for scars of the left arm and service connection for a left arm/shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence to support either claim.

The veteran's appeal of the denial of service connection for a right shoulder disability was not timely filed. The Board therefore lacks jurisdiction to consider this issue. For the other issues, the criteria for higher ratings were not met.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran had died before the decision could be adjudicated.