Shoulder decisions — 2008

The veteran withdrew his appeal for earlier effective dates of service connection for various disabilities, and the claims were dismissed.

The veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral osteoarthritis of the shoulders and a psychiatric disorder were denied due to a lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for several issues, and the remaining claims were denied or dismissed.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities are being remanded to the RO for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the right shoulder claim, but additional development is required to address the merits of the underlying service connection claim. The low back claim was also remanded for further development.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling of a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the Houston, Texas VARO.

The veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, left shoulder, right knee, and back disorders were denied. However, the claims for a right shoulder disorder, headaches, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and bilateral hearing loss were granted.

The appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development due to an inadequate examination and newly submitted evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder and a right leg disorder as the preponderance of evidence did not support that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service, or related to any service-connected condition.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence related to the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining additional evidence and scheduling a VA examination.

The veteran's claim for a separate grant of service connection for a scar on his right shoulder was granted.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disorder, a left shoulder disorder, chronic disability manifested by low back pain, and Klinefelter's Syndrome. The veteran was also denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, arthritis of the left and right shoulders, and arthritis of the finger joints of both hands as there was no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and his period of active service.

The veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for his right shoulder disability, but was denied a compensable rating for his left knee surgical scars. The left shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chest pain, arthritis of the right and left elbows, and arthritis of the right shoulder were denied as there was no evidence to support a current diagnosis of these conditions. The claim for an increased rating for psoriasis was also denied.

The Board remands the case for further development, specifically to obtain a more detailed VA examination addressing the nature and etiology of each currently present chronic disorder.

The veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative changes of the low back and left shoulder pain due to tendonitis are being remanded for further development, including a more thorough examination with etiology opinions based on a claims file review.

The veteran's arthritis of the lumbar spine was incurred in service and has been causally related to service.

The appeal was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for residual disability due to left shoulder injury.