Shoulder decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service-connected headaches and any claimed disabilities secondary to his in-service traumatic brain injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and clarify the etiology of any current condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to clarify whether his service-connected left knee disability caused or aggravated his claimed degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined and will be deferred until the service connection issue is resolved.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not service-connected, but his bilateral pes planus was aggravated by active service. The Veteran has been granted an initial 10 percent rating for GERD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board found no injury or disease involving the neck during any qualifying period of service, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted in full, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and found new and material evidence. The appeal is granted in this regard.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a 20 percent rating for his service-connected right shoulder rotator cuff tear with impingement syndrome was granted, effective June 20, 2012.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was rated at 50 percent from November 17, 2008 to January 18, 2010 and again from March 1, 2011. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed sleep apnea is causally related to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for left arm tremors and service connection for melanoma, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure at the December 2014 Board hearing.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for an extension of a temporary total rating beyond December 1, 2010 based on need for convalescence following his right shoulder surgery. The initial rating for his right shoulder disability remains at 20 percent.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and non-VA medical records, scheduling a new examination if necessary, and providing the Veteran with an opportunity to respond.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including consideration of new evidence and a VA examination. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again to determine if he is entitled to benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA social and industrial survey to assess employment capacity and a VA examination by a physiatrist to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The right shoulder, left ankle, right ankle, hypertension, bilateral foot plantar fasciitis with left first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative joint disease, bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder all had their respective initial rating evaluations determined to be inadequate.

The Veteran's right shoulder and knee disabilities have been rated based on their current functional limitations, with the right knee receiving a 10% rating for recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection, and his left ankle swelling was granted a 40% rating effective January 1, 2007. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right foot disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, left shoulder disability, and lumbar spine disability due to incomplete development.