Shoulder decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee, left arm and shoulder, and right leg disabilities are not service connected as secondary to his service-connected residuals of a left femur fracture.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder osteoarthritis had its onset during service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder disability and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or continuity of symptoms. The claim for right shoulder disability was denied due to lack of appeal within one year.,However, the appellant submitted new and material evidence to reopen his claim for right shoulder disability, which is currently pending.

The Veteran's right shoulder capsulitis and tendonitis are found to be aggravated by his service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disk and joint disease. The claim for increased rating of the lumbar disability is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability, right knee disability, and bilateral arm tingling. The decision found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a travel board hearing due to his inability to appear at the scheduled date.

The Board found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service. The right shoulder disorder has been denied as well.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff disability is caused by his service-connected left shoulder arthritis, and thus grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine the etiology of the claimed left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied as his conditions did not warrant higher ratings based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and SSA records. The case will be readjudicated after the development.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, left elbow bursitis, and right elbow disability are all service-connected. The left shoulder bursitis and left elbow disability are not service-connected.

The Board has denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability. The Veteran's claims were not addressed regarding TDIU benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed left arm, shoulder, and wrist disabilities are not related to his period of service, including a bite from a Black Widow spider during service in 1969. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities involving the Veteran's bilateral knees, left shoulder, left ankle, or back, including the lumbar and thoracic spine, that are due to any incident or event in active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including surgical anophthalmos, pigmented scars of the left hand, disfiguring pigmented scars of the face, and other conditions, render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and experience as a postal carrier.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were all denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted, but the claim was not reopened due to lack of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current level of his left shoulder disability.

The Board denied service connection for Lyme disease and a psychiatric disorder, including depression. The Veteran's claims were based on his contention that he contracted these conditions during active duty in Europe.