Shoulder decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not service-connected, and his claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and muscle hernia of the right tibia are also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as his right knee disability and left knee disability, are related to injuries sustained during service. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted. The claim for TDIU has also been denied as there is no evidence showing unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's MDD has been rated at 50 percent since December 23, 2003. The combined effects of his service-connected disabilities have made him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disorder and sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD with major depressive disorder, are denied. The claim for TDIU prior to July 1, 2013 is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right wrist, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders are not related to service.,Service treatment records do not show any complaints or treatment for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not attributable to service, were not manifest during service or within one year of separation from active service, and are not secondary (caused or aggravated) by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and updating the Veteran's address information.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been decided. The grant of CAD, TDIU, and DEA benefits are upheld with the effective dates set at November 9, 1999. However, the reduction in rating for left lower extremity neuropathy is found to be proper.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions and their relationship to service-connected right knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and records, as well as for further development of the claims.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is secondary to his service-connected deep vein thrombosis of the right leg and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new VA opinion to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, to include as due to his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is found to be service-connected due to in-service injury and continuous symptoms since separation.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a direct link between the Veteran's current left ankle disability and his military service.

The Veteran's radiculopathy and sciatica are being remanded for additional examination to determine their etiology, as the April 2010 VA examination report was incomplete. The sleep apnea claim is also being remanded due to inadequate explanation in the Board's decision.

The Veteran was granted increased ratings for his cervical spine disability and bilateral shoulder and ankle disabilities. The right and left elbow disabilities received a combined rating of 40 percent since June 13, 2014.,Effective October 15, 2014, the Veteran's neck disability was rated at 30 percent, his bilateral ankle disabilities were each rated at 20 percent, and his right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities were each rated at 30 percent. The ratings for his bilateral elbow and hand disabilities remained at 10 percent.,The Veteran received a TDIU effective October 15, 2014.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to January 21, 2014 was denied as the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that while the Veteran had multiple service-connected conditions, none prevented him from performing routine daily activities and his depressive disorder caused only moderate functional restrictions.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated as 20 percent disabling, effective May 2, 2016. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period prior to May 2, 2016, and since then, it does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant and her authorized representative, thus dismissing the appeal.

The Veteran's residuals of a gunshot wound to the left shoulder are currently rated as 30 percent disabling, with an additional 20 percent rating for degenerative joint disease. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for his gunshot wound scar or separate ratings for his shoulder disability.