Shoulder decisions — 2014

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disorder is at least as likely as not related to his service, including an injury sustained while serving in Germany. The Board finds that the evidence of record is in equipoise regarding this claim and thus grants service connection for a left shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of neck disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral eye disability, bilateral feet disability, diabetes mellitus, heart attack caused by clogged artery, psychiatric disorder (anxiety attacks and nervousness), headaches, bilateral leg disability, and bilateral arm disability have been withdrawn. The claim for service connection for a back disability is denied as there is no competent evidence of a current diagnosis. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is also denied due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder and left hand disorders is being remanded due to the unavailability of his service treatment records. He needs to provide alternate evidence or be provided with a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and his case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for service connection for left wrist, low back, and right knee disorders. The Veteran's other service connection claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling VA compensation examinations to reassess the severity of his left shoulder disability and determine if a bilateral hand and thumb disorder is secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's appeal of the issues related to effective dates for service connection has been withdrawn. The Board is dismissing these claims.

The Veteran's appeal for retroactive recognition of his children as dependents and an earlier effective date for his spouse was denied due to lack of entitlement under the law.,The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence within one year of receiving notification from VA regarding dependency, which is a requirement for retroactive benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder condition was not incurred or aggravated by active service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability and GERD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for his left shoulder disability will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Indianapolis RO for transfer of jurisdiction due to her new residence, and rescheduling of a Board hearing.

The Veteran's left arm neuralgia is found to be secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability. The claim for increased evaluation of the left shoulder disability is remanded.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability, and the claim is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right shoulder subluxation status-post surgery is related to service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder arthritis prior to September 6, 2011, and for a rating in excess of 40 percent since that date are both denied.,Service connection for sciatica secondary to the service-connected left shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his right shoulder disability. The issue of entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorder is also before the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar strain and right shoulder strain, finding that the Veteran's in-service injuries are presumed due to combat service.,The Veteran's claim of a higher rating for his right hand disability is dismissed as he withdrew it prior to the decision.