Shoulder decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete records, including Social Security Administration (SSA) records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is being reviewed for service connection.

The Board has determined that the submitted evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, cervical strain with arthritis, or right shoulder and arm condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video-conference hearing and issuance of a statement of the case regarding his left shoulder disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder and left knee disorders did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and are not causally related to his military service. As such, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left elbow and left shoulder disabilities did not have their onset in service or are otherwise related to an injury, disease, or event during service. The claims for service connection for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability to service and denied his claim for service connection. For the compensable evaluation of his umbilical hernia scar, the Board noted that the scar did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's skin or scars rating criteria.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence of current Peyronie's disease, heart disability, degenerative arthritis of the shoulders, or eczema of the hands. The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's cervical spine and left shoulder disorders, including obtaining more recent treatment records and arranging for examinations to address the issues on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his left shoulder degenerative arthritis with internal derangement as secondary to his right shoulder strain. The reduction in evaluation from 20% to 10% for residuals of a chronic right shoulder strain was upheld.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right shoulder or right ankle disability, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.,Regarding GERD, while the Veteran currently has this condition, there is no probative medical evidence linking it to her in-service gastrointestinal issues. The claim of service connection for GERD is therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination for his service-connected left shoulder disability and to ensure all relevant records are associated with the claims file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left shoulder, and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining STRs, VA treatment records, and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, and a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disorders is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's upper back and neck injury, headaches, stomach condition, and left shoulder disability are all service-connected. The effective date is July 18, 2000.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 50 percent, effective from December 28, 2011. The claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability by reason of service-connected disabilities since December 28, 2011 is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder impingement and right-sided herniated disc with degenerative disc disease at C5-6 were denied. The initial evaluations for the left shoulder disability remain at 20 percent, while those for the cervical spine disability are at 10 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection and initial compensable ratings.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to substantiate the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a low back disability, bilateral knee disabilities, and right shoulder disabilities. This includes verifying duty status during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA periods, obtaining VA examinations, and updating treatment records.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim of whether the January 1978 rating decision denying service connection for a back condition was based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) has not been adjudicated.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, characterized by recurrent dislocation and arthritis, has been rated at 30 percent under the appropriate diagnostic code. The VA examiner found that his arthritis is directly related to his service-connected recurrent left shoulder dislocation.