Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including right shoulder disability, headaches, bilateral leg disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and depression. The decision found that new evidence did not establish a current disability for some of these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disorder due to incomplete consideration of all available evidence and need for additional medical opinion.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the left shoulder and there is no evidence to support service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 40 percent, effective October 19, 2005. The Board has determined that the current schedular rating criteria reasonably describe and contemplate his level of severity.

The Board found no evidence of a current heart condition and denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed heart murmur. The VA examiner concluded that the bilateral shoulder condition is less likely than not incurred in or caused by service, based on the Veteran's history of self-treatment with over-the-counter pain medication.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability due to exposure to herbicides, including status post lipoma excision of the left shoulder and chloracne. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his service-connected left shoulder and left knee disorders, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for left shoulder tendonitis, cervical spine disorder, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and an examination to assess his ability to work due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's employment is not considered marginal or in a protected environment, and his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for right hip, right shoulder, left shoulder, and low back degenerative joint diseases as well as cellulitis, all of which are found to be secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee disability.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on their causal relationship to the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred during service and is not related to any inservice noise exposure. The left collar bone and shoulder disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of their onset in service or a relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and left calcaneal spur conditions have been granted, with a 20% rating for the right shoulder and no rating assigned for the left calcaneal spur. The effective date of these awards is December 5, 2010.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and ensuring all pertinent treatment records are obtained.

The Board has determined that a chronic left shoulder disorder was neither incurred in nor aggravated by service, and is not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disease or disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right and left shoulder disabilities are not service-connected as they are attributed to post-service injuries, resolving any in-service issues.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been withdrawn.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder impingement syndrome results in a disability rating of 20 percent. The claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is granted.

The Veteran's claims for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses at Camden General Hospital on March 29, 2010 and from May 3 to May 4, 2010 were denied as the services provided did not meet the criteria for emergency treatment under VA regulations.