Shoulder decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and because a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) must be issued.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to an in-service injury and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is likely related to service, and thus granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increase were denied, and the claim for an earlier effective date was also denied. The Board found that the residuals of a vertebral fracture at T-12 did not warrant a rating higher than 60 percent, and the residuals of a right shoulder injury did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The right shoulder disorder was not shown to be related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's current arthritis of multiple joints other than both knees, both shoulders, the lumbar spine, the right ankle, and the left elbow is not related to his military service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's left and right shoulder arthritis were incurred as a result of injuries during active service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service connected due to in-service noise exposure. His cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities are not service connected as they pre-existed service or were not shown within one year of separation.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his residuals of a left shoulder injury and lumbosacral strain are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of recent medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (including PTSD and dysthymia) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since February 2, 2012.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine, shoulder, and arm conditions were not incurred or aggravated in service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing. The claims of service connection and increased rating for his shoulder disabilities are pending.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for gouty arthritis of the back, toes, fingers, knees, shoulders, and ankles was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected Ganglion cyst, left wrist, was denied. The claim for secondary service connection of the left shoulder bursitis to the service-connected left wrist condition is also denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and initial evaluations of various knee and eye disabilities to the RO for further development. The Veteran's right eye pterygium is currently rated as noncompensable, while his left shoulder impingement syndrome and patellofemoral syndromes in both knees are each rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for astasia, residuals of ecchymosis of the left deltoid muscle, and neurological impairment of the left lower extremity. The remaining issues were not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's hypertension was not found to warrant a higher rating, and service connection for various conditions including low back disorder, knee disorders, foot disorders, shoulder disorders, diabetes mellitus, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorder (GERD), and fatigue were denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his thoracolumbar spine disability and left shoulder disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome and tension headaches, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to her military service. Service connection was denied for a lumbar spine disorder.