Shoulder decisions — 2013

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a videoconference hearing regarding the right shoulder disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, and left shoulder disorder. The evidence does not show a current disability that is related to active duty.

The Board found no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for bilateral shoulder disability and PTSD, concluding that any current disabilities are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder did not manifest during service and is not attributable to service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for HPV II, and initial ratings for her left shoulder disability, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, postoperative residuals of bunionectomy on the first metatarsal of each foot were denied. The appeal was reopened due to new evidence provided.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder, right knee and bilateral foot disabilities to allow for additional development.

The Veteran's right shoulder degenerative joint disease is manifested by infrequent recurrent dislocations of the scapulohumeral joint; range of motion is restricted to shoulder level or above, warranting a 20 percent disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his left shoulder disability and granted entitlement to TDIU. However, due to the Veteran's death prior to the issuance of this decision, the Board had no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling an in-person hearing due to audio distortions and lost recordings of a previous videoconference hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability as there was no diagnosed condition and no evidence that his symptoms were related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for left shoulder and lumbar spine disorders due to a hearing officer's absence.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as it had its onset from an injury, disease or event of active service origin.,The Veteran's conduction aphasia and receptive aprosodia (stuttering) are service-connected as they had their onset from an injury, disease or event of active service origin.,There is no evidence to support the claim for a cognitive disability. The Veteran has not been diagnosed with this condition during service or within one year after separation, and it is unrelated to any injury or disease in service.,The Veteran's headache disability does not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no evidence of such a condition during service or within one year after separation.,The Veteran has an undiagnosed illness manifested by sore and tender muscles/joint pain of the elbows, shoulders, calves, and knees. This condition had its onset from an injury, disease, or event of active service origin.,The Veteran has an undiagnosed illness manifested by low back pain. This condition also had its onset from an injury, disease, or event of active service origin.

The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions that are related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is remanded due to the need for further development, including verification of his claimed period of active duty training in the summer of 1965 and scheduling of a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder or low back disability for which service connection can be granted, and thus denied both issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder and right shoulder disorder were not incurred or aggravated by active military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected scars of the back of the neck, right and left shoulder areas, and mid back have been rated as 10 percent disabling since November 2007. The current rating is considered appropriate given the nature and extent of his scars.

The Veteran's heart and lung disorders, diagnosed as cardiomyopathy, asthma, and COPD, are proximately due to or the result of service-connected schizophrenia.

The Veteran's back disability is not service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service. His bilateral foot and shoulder disabilities are pending as the evidence is insufficient to determine their connection to service.