Shoulder decisions — 2009

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or that any of the conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board made a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for residuals of a shrapnel wound of the right shoulder, finding that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 10 percent.

The Board grants service connection for a bilateral knee disability, left hip disability, and lumbar spine disability. The evidence is in relative equipoise regarding the left shoulder disability, but it cannot be granted due to lack of medical nexus.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated at 10 percent initially, but the Board granted a higher rating of 20 percent effective September 4, 2008.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for rash on buttocks, groin, shoulder and back, to include as due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as the evidence did not support higher ratings or a grant of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 20 percent disability rating and an increased rating for his right shoulder disability, as well as service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities.

The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder was reopened, but the claims for service connection for a bilateral hip disorder and an increased rating for chronic low back strain were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for dysentery and inflammatory arthritis of the neck, shoulders, elbows, and hands were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim for dysentery, and there is no medical evidence linking either condition to military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for injury to the thumb, index and ring fingers, tinnitus, a left shoulder condition, and a low back condition.

The appeal was remanded to the RO for further development and review of the case, including allowing the Veteran's authorized representative to address the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disorder, a right lower extremity disorder, a back disorder, and a chest disorder as there is no evidence of chronic disability in these areas.

The Board determined that the Veteran's sudden cardiac death was not due to any disability incurred in service, manifested during the first post-service year, or related to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings and increased rating, as well as service connection for various conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right knee, left knee, and shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder, status post Putti-Platt procedure with degenerative arthritis was rated at 20 percent. The claim for a vision condition secondary to the service-connected left shoulder was denied.

The Board remands the case to schedule an appropriate examination to determine if additional disability was caused by VA surgeries and whether such disability was due to carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or a similar instance of fault on the part of the VA.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial compensable rating for the right shoulder disability before a decision was made.