Shoulder decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability is not related to his active military service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent, as it does not meet the criteria for an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected recurrent subluxation and dislocation of the right shoulder is granted, with an assigned rating of 30 percent. The claims to reopen for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine (secondary to the service-connected right knee disability) and PTSD are also granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection were dismissed due to her death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's post-operative residuals of right shoulder surgery with bursitis are due to in-service combat-related trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability. The claim is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and bilateral eye condition. The claim to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of a bilateral knee disability was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that his right leg/knee disability did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability and service connection for neck pain and upper back pain, claimed as a back condition were denied. The denial is based on the lack of current evidence of a back condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have residuals of a dislocated bone of the right shoulder or impaired hearing due to service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions is February 19, 1963.

The Board found that the veteran did not have PTSD due to combat stressors and could not verify other claimed stressors. The cervical spine, left knee, left foot, and bilateral shoulder disabilities were not shown to be related to service. Stomach ulcers and a skin rash were also not linked to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected left shoulder scar(s) and consideration of whether an additional 10 percent rating should be assigned under Diagnostic Codes 4.73 or 5304.

The veteran's service-connected right and left knee degenerative joint diseases are currently rated at 10 percent each, which is the maximum rating allowed under VA regulations. The Board finds that these disabilities do not warrant a higher evaluation based on current evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to issues related to service connection, including a left shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and unverified in-service events.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records from his reserve service and the need for addendums to VA examination reports.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for any of the claimed conditions based on lack of evidence of in-service occurrence or aggravation.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support the veteran's claims.