Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, which was previously rated at 40 percent, is now rated at 50 percent due to ankylosis with limitation of abduction to 25 degrees from the side.

The Board has vacated parts of the January 2018 decision and remand due to lack of due process. The claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for neck, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities are reopened. Service connection for PTSD is also addressed but requires additional medical opinions.

The Board denied a separate disability rating for the service-connected right shoulder disability, finding that such would constitute prohibited pyramiding of compensation.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition and a left shoulder condition, both secondary to the Veteran's service-connected osteoarthritis of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral shoulder strain and chronic cervical and lumbar spine strain due to insufficient medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be impacted by the development of these service connection claims.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent since December 3, 2012. The Board finds that the criteria for a disability rating of at least 20 percent under limitation of motion provisions have been met.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to errors in previous decisions.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and erectile dysfunction, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship to active duty service or service-connected conditions.,For hypertensive heart disease and paroxysmal atrial fibrillations, the Board found no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 percent or less prior to March 29, 2017. Beginning March 29, 2017, there was also no such evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for several issues, including a rating for right ulna fracture residuals and service connection for various hand, shoulder, and back disorders. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with these other claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral shoulder disabilities, bilateral knee disabilities, loss of vision, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction due to service connection. The issues are related to whether these conditions began during or were caused by periods of active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left foot and shoulder disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability and an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD. The evidence did not support a finding that the current disabilities were related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left shoulder sprain with arthritis was denied, as the evidence did not show limitation of motion to 25 degrees from side. The claim for a TDIU was also denied due to lack of evidence showing the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disability. However, it denied a TDIU prior to April 1, 2012 due to the combined rating of other disabilities.

The appeal seeking a rating in excess of 30 percent for vertigo is dismissed.,The appeals to reopen claims of service connection for left shoulder disability and residuals of head injury (including headaches) are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an opinion on whether the Veteran's right shoulder condition is aggravated by his service-connected right elbow disability. The Veteran will need to provide updated medical records and undergo a new examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric and physical disabilities, including right shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, sleep apnea, hepatitis C, kidney or renal failure, prostate cancer, and unspecified depressive disorder. The reasons provided include lack of in-service evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right lateral/medial epicondylitis and hyperlipidemia was denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for PTSD, thoracolumbar spine IVDS and degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle sprain, cervical spine strain, right shoulder sprain, right shin splints, left shin splints, hemorrhoids, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome was denied. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating prior to September 27, 2012 was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and ulnar neuropathy disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his education and occupational experience.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee conditions due to incomplete VA examinations and missing medical records. The VA is instructed to attempt to locate and associate any missing treatment records with the Veteran’s case.