Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing right shoulder disability clearly and unmistakably worsened during service, warranting service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left shoulder disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, as well as his sleep apnea. The claims are inextricably intertwined due to the potential impact on the outcome of the sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's right shoulder surgery residuals were rated at 20 percent from April 13, 2011. His right shoulder scar was also rated at 20 percent effective as of April 13, 2011.

The Board has granted the appellant's claim, finding that her residential facility provides necessary custodial care and thus all unreimbursed fees paid to this facility are deductible medical expenses for the purpose of calculating her countable income towards nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 28, 2011. The Board granted TDIU benefits based on the evidence showing that his service-connected conditions rendered him unable to work.

The Board has granted service connection for multiple joint disabilities as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected dermatitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and conducting medical opinions regarding his right knee, right shoulder, and neck conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new examination to assess the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for left shoulder disability and idiopathic epilepsy have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ring finger, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee conditions have been denied.,Service connection was granted for a left wrist condition (rated as 10 percent disabling), GERD (rated as 10 percent disabling), lumbosacral strain (rated as 10 percent disabling), and left ear hearing loss (rated as 10 percent disabling).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to provide her with a Board video conference hearing on the issues of service connection for various conditions and increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a current VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD. The issue remains about entitlement to an increased rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's end-stage osteoarthritis of the right shoulder, which resulted from VA treatment for a right shoulder hemiarthroplasty with acromioplasty on August 24, 2007, is considered additional disability and meets the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder disability, 10 percent for his bilateral foot disability (diagnosed as plantar fasciitis), and 30 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder prior to October 16, 2012.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and hypertension, and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability. Further development is needed to determine if his current disabilities are related to service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's service-connected left forearm scar is not compensable.,There is no evidence of a chronic left shoulder strain/arthropathy that was incurred in service.,Inguinal hernias were not shown in service or for many years following discharge from service, and are not otherwise related to service.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of infectious hepatitis A.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's post-operative unstable left shoulder is related to his in-service left shoulder dislocations and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is not less than 70%, meeting the schedular criteria for a TDIU. However, the evidence does not demonstrate that he is or has been precluded from all forms of employment due solely to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing. The appeal is not yet decided on its merits.