Shoulder decisions — 2017

The Veteran's initial grant of service connection for left shoulder disability was reinstated, and a 30 percent rating is granted beginning April 11, 2012. The Veteran's TDIU claim prior to February 23, 2009 is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability warrants a staged rating of 20 percent prior to December 27, 2016 and 30 percent from that date.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected left shoulder disability renders him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and right knee disabilities have been granted, with a 10% rating effective September 8, 2008.

The Board denied service connection for left knee and left shoulder disabilities, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability or evidence of its onset during active service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for a left shoulder disorder and higher initial disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, right lower extremity femoral nerve involvement, and left lower extremity femoral nerve involvement.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including major depressive disorder, post traumatic osteoarthritis of the right shoulder with loss of range of motion, tinnitus, and bilateral high frequency hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability had its onset in service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to September 25, 2013.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The TDIU claim is also pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations and consideration of the April 2017 memorandum from the Director of Compensation Service regarding extra-schedular evaluation. The TDIU issue will also be considered on remand.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the representation withdrawing the appeal before a decision was made.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left shoulder arthritis, as well as his generalized arthritis condition and back condition, are not linked to service or any presumptive conditions. The evidence does not support a finding of chronicity during service or continuity of symptoms after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for the claimed disorders and thus, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's recurrent instability of the left shoulder with arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Codes 5201 and 5202. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation as there is no ankylosis or limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the issues of service connection for right knee and right shoulder disorders.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to September 8, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence does not show he was incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and assigned a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's compression fracture T-12 vertebrae with kyphosis and degenerative joint disease (DJD) and low back pain.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for an additional VA examination to address the current nature and severity of his left shoulder condition, as he believes there may be new findings from imaging studies. The claim will then be readjudicated.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral knee, bilateral shoulder, and low back disabilities. The RO must also obtain all ongoing treatment records.