Shoulder decisions — 2016

The Board granted a higher initial rating of 10 percent for the service-connected right shoulder disability from January 1, 2010 to August 13, 2014 and denied any increase thereafter.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis with metatarsalgia is rated at 10 percent since October 2007, and the cervical spine disability is granted as incurred in service. The left shoulder disability (left arm numbness) is not found to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and low back disabilities due to incomplete records of his service medical history. The Veteran will be afforded a VA examination to determine the etiology of any current disorders.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability did not manifest during or as a result of active military service. The claim is therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and right ankle disabilities have been denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during active service, and the current disabilities are not related to service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected, but his headaches are rated at 30%.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as information about the Veteran's time at Camp Lejeune. The claims will be readjudicated based on all received evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for hypertension was withdrawn. The effective date of the increased rating for hypertension is set at December 4, 2009.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's right shoulder, lumbar spine, and cervical spine disabilities to her service or any other occurrence during a qualifying period of service. The conditions are not related to her service-connected left shoulder disability or fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to fibromyalgia, which began during her service. Therefore, she is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's cervical spine and left shoulder disabilities did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and thus could not be presumed to have occurred therein. The VA medical opinions supported this finding.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder arthritis is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and ischemic heart disease rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from May 5, 2011 until February 9, 2012. His TDIU claim is granted for this period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cervical spine arthritis is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of left shoulder disability remains pending as there are insufficient records available for a proper evaluation.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current knee, shoulder, and elbow disabilities to service. The claims were denied as there was insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on all ten issues of service connection. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these matters.

The Board has granted service connection for undiagnosed left knee, right knee, right wrist, and left shoulder joint pain as due to a qualifying chronic disability under the provisions of the Persian Gulf Veterans' Act.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating. The issue of TDIU is addressed in this remand.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the current evidence.