Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and missing medical records.

The Board denied payment or reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at a private hospital on March 20, 2016 because the Veteran's condition was not considered an emergency and VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Board has reopened the service connection claim for a nervous condition due to new medical evidence, but denied reopening of claims for right shoulder pain and problems, lower back pain and problems, hypertension, left shoulder disability, and stomach disability.,The issues of entitlement to effective dates prior to December 1, 2014 for bilateral hearing loss and scar disabilities are also remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a scar due to cranium cyst removal is granted. The claims for telangiectasia matting on the nasal bridge, right shoulder pain and impingement, cervical radiculopathy with numbness of left upper extremity, and cervical radiculopathy with numbness of right upper extremity are all denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and he is now entitled to a new VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a VA joints/muscle examination. The issues of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder degenerative joint disease, and entitlement to TDIU prior to October 19, 2016, are also being remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all the listed issues, resulting in their dismissal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability, were denied. His claim for an increased rating for his lumbar spine disability was granted with a 40 percent rating effective September 12, 2012.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of an earlier effective date for service connection for limitation of motion and recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings and requests for a new evaluation of the Veteran's left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's low back condition is granted service connection, but his left shoulder and right wrist conditions are denied. The issue of entitlement to service connection for right upper quadrant pain and tinea pedis is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder as there was no evidence to support the claim that the Veteran's current condition is related to his time in service.

The Veteran's nervous condition or psychiatric disorder also claimed as sleep disorder is remanded.,The Veteran’s ED claim is remanded along with the nervous condition/psychiatric disorder claim, and held in abeyance until that claim is fully developed and addressed by the AOJ.,The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is remanded.,The Veteran's left shoulder disorder is remanded.,The Veteran's left upper extremity neuropathy is remanded.,The Veteran's left upper extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a supplemental medical opinion regarding her migraines and overall employability.

The Board dismissed the appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for transitional lumbosacral vertebra with facet arthropathy L5-S1 due to lack of jurisdiction. The left shoulder issue is remanded for further action.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for right knee and left shoulder disabilities. The claim for service connection for left shoulder disability, which is secondary to a service-connected right shoulder disability, was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the other issues related to left shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder impingement, low back condition, left knee condition, dry eye syndrome, restrictive airway disease, and hiatal hernia should be remanded due to a lack of in-service complaints or treatment. The Veteran was not afforded an opportunity for a VA examination as his service records show complaints and treatments for each disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his right shoulder, low back, and bilateral leg muscle pain disabilities are not shown to be related to active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea with fatigue, headaches, a lower gastrointestinal disability (IBS), a neck disability (cervical spine arthritis), and a low back disability (lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and facet arthropathy of L5-S1).,Service connection was also granted for a left shoulder disability (degenerative joint disease) based on the Veteran's reports of in-service injuries.