Shoulder decisions — 2017

The Veteran does not have a disorder of the lumbar spine, joint pain to include bilateral shoulders, or sleep apnea that was caused by his service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner and requesting that the Veteran provide any outstanding medical records. The claim will be further adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and left shoulder disability were denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The remaining issues, including service connection for various conditions, are currently in a pending status.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are not service-connected. However, his shortening of the right lower extremity is found to be due to a pre-existing right ankle disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of the evidence provided since the last decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right foot disorder, increased rating for left fifth metatarsal fracture, initial disability rating for postoperative scar of left shoulder, TDIU, and special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule VA examinations and obtain additional medical records. The issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for service-connected shoulder, clavicle, and hip conditions are pending.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for right shoulder disability cannot be granted as there is no evidence to support such a claim. The Veteran's initial denial was final, and he did not file a timely appeal or new and material evidence within one year. He filed his current claim in 2004, which resulted in an effective date of January 28, 2004.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review it.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating and a separate compensable rating for her service-connected left shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inconsistencies in the record and need for clarification of credibility issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus his claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder disorder, psychiatric disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The decision found no impairment associated with the left shoulder scar.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 60 percent from September 1, 2013. The claim for TDIU prior to September 1, 2013 and from May 7, 2015 is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his left shoulder, left elbow, cervical spine disabilities and psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran was seen for complaints of headaches following a head injury in service and has presented competent and credible evidence that those headaches have persisted since service.,It is as likely as not that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and development of her service-connected right shoulder and right ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for increased evaluations for his service-connected left shoulder disability and scars of the left shoulder has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for either condition.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorders, including a right shoulder rotator cuff and left shoulder rupture, were not found to be related to his service-connected conditions. His TDIU claim was also denied as he is currently employed.