Shoulder decisions — 2007

The Board has granted increased ratings of 10% for the veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability and headaches, effective from August 29, 2006.

The Board denied all claims for service connection, finding that there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors related to post-traumatic stress disorder and rejecting the diagnoses of sleep apnea as not supported by medical records. The other conditions were also not found to be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied all claims for service connection and initial ratings, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service or new and material evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep disorder, and shoulder disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to conflicting medical evidence and the need for a comprehensive VA examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable disability evaluations are denied. The Board finds no current disabilities from the claimed conditions.

The veteran's asthma, chloracne, and peripheral neuropathy were not found to be related to service. Service connection for these conditions was denied. The veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10%.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU, finding that the earliest date as of which it is ascertainable that an increase in disability occurred was September 27, 2001.

The veteran's initial rating for his right shoulder dislocation with arthritis was increased to 20 percent effective June 13, 2006. Prior to that date, the rating remained at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent tinnitus, residuals of a left arm shrapnel wound, and arthritis as secondary to service-connected cold injuries due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of the bilateral wrists, knees, and shoulders as well as hypertension. The evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,Regarding the veteran's claim to reopen his hearing loss claim, new and material evidence was found but service connection was still denied.

The veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities are reasonably shown to be secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, and the Board finds that service connection for these conditions is warranted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder disability, and thus secondary service connection cannot be granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to allow for a VA examination and additional development of the evidence.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. His hypertension remains rated at 10 percent, his right shoulder and knee disorders remain undiagnosed, and his spondylolysis of the lower back continues to be rated as intervertebral disc syndrome.

The veteran is granted service connection for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and its associated joint disabilities, but denied service connection for valvular heart disease.,Service connection was not granted for residuals of rheumatic fever as the condition preexisted service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder and cervical spine disorder, both as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral spine disability. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his service-connected condition.

The veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a medical examination. The examiner will assess whether the veteran has vertigo related to his service-connected disabilities and determine if he is unemployable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back and shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran died of sudden cardiac death, and the cause is believed to be related to his service-connected lumbar spine strain with degenerative joint disease. However, due to a lack of clear and unmistakable error in prior rating decisions, the claim for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is denied.