Shoulder decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed left shoulder strain, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The Board also found that there is no evidence of a current bilateral foot disability related to service.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is productive of painful and limited flexion, warranting a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for hearing loss or tinnitus, and that there was no direct service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right shoulder disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, which resulted in falls. The Veteran's left knee disability is also considered secondary to this same condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of eye, chest, and right shoulder injuries, as well as headaches secondary to an eye injury, and right hand and arm disabilities are all denied. The threshold legal requirements for establishing these claims are not met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for the claimed conditions of residuals of a head injury, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The disorders are currently shown as bilateral shoulder tendonitis, cervical spondylosis, and lumbar scoliosis, but these are not related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any current left shoulder, neck, bilateral arm, or right shoulder disabilities that are related to his active service. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for residuals of a left shoulder injury and dorsal strain with degenerative changes prior to May 28, 2008 were denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left shoulder disability, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular TDIU rating prior to July 13, 2004, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable and that there was no evidence of frequent hospitalization or marked interference with employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and right shoulder disorders due to a lack of current disability related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder and right knee disorders are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service, specifically the injuries he sustained in 1954 while playing football.

The Board found the appellant's account of a motor vehicle accident during service to be credible, but not competent or credible for establishing a relationship between his current disabilities and that event. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of a left arm injury, finding that no new and material evidence had been received since the September 2003 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for VCAA notice regarding secondary service connection and a new VA examination for his left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and likely etiology of his current left shoulder disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support such an increase.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his back disability and whether it is related to service or aggravated by his right shoulder disability. The RO must also ensure that he has been provided proper notice with respect to these issues.