Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Veteran's insomnia is caused by his service-connected PTSD and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for insomnia.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal of the denial of service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder, including his long thoracic nerve dysfunction and arthritis of the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints, is service-connected as it developed during military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's injuries sustained on February 10, 1973 were proximately and immediately due to his own willful misconduct. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee disability was incurred in active service and is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new and relevant medical evidence received since the last Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The Veteran's claims include service connection for various orthopedic, psychiatric, and skin conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his right and left shoulder disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability and peptic ulcer disease are service-connected, with the right shoulder disability being granted on a direct basis due to in-service injury during combat. The peptic ulcer disease is also granted as it was diagnosed while the Veteran was on active duty.

The Board denied service connection for low back, left shoulder, and arthritis of the left leg disabilities. The claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected right shoulder and right knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing and issuance of a statement of the case.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification of his exposure to herbicides and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any skin disorder and bilateral shoulder disorder.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits decisions and underlying medical records, arranging a neurological examination of the right shoulder, and considering an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for his claimed right shoulder and left knee disabilities, which are required to establish service connection. The VA examiner concluded that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ankle, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions had their onset during or within one year after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities were not incurred in service or within one year of separation, as there is no evidence of chronic conditions during service or for many years thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of TBI, right eye disability, and left shoulder and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50% rating from September 28, 2010 forward.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with the exception of his request to reopen a claim for service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the bilateral upper extremities. The Veteran is currently receiving appropriate disability compensation for his PTSD, dysthymia, left shoulder disability, low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the issues of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and TMJ dysfunction. The case will be remanded to obtain relevant medical records, schedule VA examinations, and consider the claims based on the new evidence.