Shoulder decisions — 2011

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed low back and left knee disabilities are not related to his service, and arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left shoulder disorders are related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of a right shoulder disability associated with the Veteran's active service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA medical records. The case will be reviewed by the RO after all necessary actions are completed.

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

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has interfered with his employability, preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to June 4, 2003 for service connection of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities were denied as there was no indication that he had filed an earlier claim.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 25, 2004 for residuals of a shrapnel wound of the left shoulder was granted with an effective date of July 12, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and to schedule him for appropriate examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any current left shoulder disability and skin disability of the back of head and hands.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hip disability, specifically osteoarthritis, was incurred during active service and is granted service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder injury and right ankle injury. The Veteran is now entitled to a full merits review of these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder and low back disabilities, finding that there is no credible evidence of a continuity of symptoms since service and noting that any current conditions are not related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain SSA records and reschedule VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability, including a rotator cuff syndrome and SLAP tear with anterior gleno-humeral instability and bicipital tenosynovitis, is related to his active military service. The decision grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination for his right shoulder disability and an opinion regarding the etiology of his left shoulder disability. The RO/AMC should also request any relevant medical records from the Orlando VA Medical Center since February 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left shoulder disorder, brain lesion, or cognitive impairment. The service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and neurotoxicity due to solvent exposure are denied as there is no clear evidence of these conditions during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and degenerative joint diseases of the left ankle, right knee, and lumbar spine, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his physical limitations.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, post-arthroscopy, is currently rated at 30 percent and the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 30 percent is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not properly adjudicated due to procedural defects and requires further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lipoma of the left shoulder is related to his service, specifically the anthrax vaccinations he received in 2003 and 2004. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.