Shoulder decisions — 2006

The veteran's right shoulder separation was initially rated as noncompensable prior to July 31, 2004. As of that date, the RO granted a 40 percent rating for his condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's disability does not warrant a higher evaluation, and thus denied his claim for an increased rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding no current diagnosis of a hernia and noting that there is no record of any in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's migraine headaches, right wrist disorder, lumbosacral strain/injury, and left shoulder disorder. The decision also addressed evaluations for these conditions, with some issues being granted initial or increased ratings.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current Type I or Type II diabetes mellitus, as well as the severity of the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability. The issues include determining whether the veteran's diabetes is related to his period of active duty service from May 1967 to March 1970, including as due to presumed herbicide exposure, and whether he should receive a higher rating for his service-connected right shoulder condition.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities for the claimed left ankle, bilateral shoulder, bilateral elbow, and low back conditions that are related to service. Therefore, the claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability and residuals of right rib fractures are linked to an in-service motor vehicle accident, granting service connection for these conditions. The claim for a compensable rating for mallet deformity of the right ring finger remains pending.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder condition and a skin condition, finding that the veteran's current symptoms are not related to his active service. The gastrointestinal condition claim was remanded.

The veteran's lumbar spine disability was granted a rating of 40 percent effective December 20, 2000.,The veteran's cervical spine disability and right shoulder DJD were both granted initial ratings.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including obtaining medical records from the Social Security Administration.

The Board granted an increased rating to 50 percent for the residuals of postoperative capsular repair for recurrent dislocation of the right shoulder, and also granted separate compensable ratings for associated nerve damage and muscle damage.

The veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, tendonitis of the shoulder, burn on left hand, and hearing loss were denied. The claim for fracture of right little finger was granted.

The veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities are rated at 30 percent each, effective September 1998. The veteran's bilateral epididymitis is also rated at 30 percent, effective September 1998.

The VA has determined that the veteran's right shoulder DJD does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent since February 25, 2003.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's left shoulder disability, attributing it to in-service chronic administration of prednisone.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical and trapezius myositis, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, and impingement syndrome of the right shoulder are related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities of her right and left shoulders related to service. The April 2006 VA examination found no basis for a finding that the veteran had disabilities of the shoulders related to her service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further consideration of the factors of functional loss and any additional evidence necessary to decide the appeal, including new VA treatment records.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, and lung disorder due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.