Shoulder decisions — 2014

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for refractive error of the eye, but denied his claims for left shoulder disorder and dry eye. The Veteran was also granted a new rating for hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for additional development of his medical records and consideration of the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations.

The Board has determined that additional VA treatment records and possibly vocational rehabilitation or temporary files may be relevant to the Veteran's claims. The case is being remanded for these records to be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of his left shoulder injury and cervical strain were denied. His claim for a compensable rating for the residuals of his left hand laceration, including consequent scar, was granted with an initial noncompensable (0 percent) rating retroactively effective from August 19, 2004.

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after service, and there is no evidence of arthritis in the shoulders prior to 2007.,The Veteran's current left foot disability (gout) was diagnosed in 2004 and is less likely than not related to treatment for foot pain with Indocin in 1993 during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability, right shoulder disability, and tinnitus are related to his military service. The evidence supports a finding of in-service injury or exposure for each condition.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities for the period from July 15, 2008 to December 17, 2008.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and a right shoulder disorder, service connection for cancer to include soft tissue sarcoma and squamous cell sarcoma as due to herbicide exposure, and service connection for hypertension as due to herbicide exposure or as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II and PTSD have all been denied.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the highest rating available under Diagnostic Code 5201 for limitation of motion. The appeal has been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities are related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability and back disability have not met the criteria for higher initial evaluations.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain and left shoulder degenerative arthritis have been rated at the maximum allowable under current VA regulations, with no further increase in ratings possible.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosed right shoulder and right hip disorders are related to his second period of active service.,Service connection is granted for chronic strain in both the right shoulder and right hip.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disorder is secondary to his service-connected gout and/or lumbar strain.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which includes a contusion, dislocation, chronic pain, and instability following surgery, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling due to painful, limited motion. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on the current functional impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for folliculitis of the scalp and right shoulder disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability is not of such severity as to preclude substantially gainful employment, and therefore, the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability are not met.

The Veteran's service-connected low back strain with degenerative joint disease is not shown to meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent. The left shoulder acromioclavicular arthritis has been rated appropriately.