Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to service, but his right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disabilities prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 10 percent, and the claim for service connection for an acquired psychological disability was denied. The cervical spine disability claim has been previously denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, neck disability, and right shoulder disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain all pertinent treatment records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination for his claimed disabilities. The claims are being remanded.

The Board found no evidence of chronic disabilities in service or within the first post-service year, and concluded that any current neck, low back, or right shoulder conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a right shoulder disability has been reopened and is being remanded to obtain VA examination.,The Veteran's claims for low back disability, headaches, and gastritis are also being remanded to obtain VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities were not related to his military service, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues including service connection for chiari malformation, increases in ratings for psychiatric disability and radiculopathy conditions, as well as increased ratings for cervical spine degenerative disc disease, right shoulder tendonitis, and cervicogenic headaches. The case is being remanded to allow the Veteran to schedule a hearing and for issuance of an SOC regarding the rating for cervicogenic headaches.

The Veteran's PTSD with depressive features is granted, and the claims for right shoulder disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and lumbar spine disorder are remanded due to procedural defects.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board is remanding the claim for a new VA examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to his military service, including an injury sustained during his first period of service in October 1982.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to reassess the severity of his service-connected left shoulder disability and consideration of all potentially applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is service-connected, and her increased evaluation for bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder remains pending as the criteria have not been met for a higher rating.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 30 percent since July 1, 2007. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on limitation of motion or other factors.

The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings, and he is now eligible for a TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service acoustic trauma. The remaining claims of service connection for neck, shoulder, back, hip, and leg disabilities have been remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability had its onset during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits based on service-connected disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions prior to November 13, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected conditions, all potentially related to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.