Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, but has remanded his claims for right shoulder, left knee, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral shoulder disability, respiratory condition (bronchitis and asthma), bilateral ankle disability, back disability, and neck disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The AOJ is instructed to verify dates of active duty training and inactive duty training, obtain any outstanding VA or private treatment records, and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right and left shoulder disorders in conjunction with the right knee disorder, rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 19, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is partially granted with a 30 percent rating for GERD. The remaining issues of service connection and increased rating are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and an eye disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service. The rating for his right knee condition remains unchanged.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder disability, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine and cervical spine, left ulnar neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The issues are being remanded due to insufficient evidence on file from 1972 until 2001.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, neck disability, acquired psychiatric disorder, left hand arthritis, and bilateral shoulder disability. The evidence did not meet the criteria for establishing service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is rated 20 percent disabling under Diagnostic Code 5203 for impairment of clavicle or scapula. The Board finds that additional development is necessary before the underlying claims can be adjudicated on the merits.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current shoulder disorders are related to his service, specifically the incident in July 2003 when he tried to slow down a heavy object using his hands.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder and elbow disability, finding that his congenital deformity did not worsen during military service.

The appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for a back disability and Hepatitis C, and these claims are allowed. Further assistance is needed to determine if there is a current disability related to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as it did not manifest in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology is not established.,The appeal for service connection for right shoulder disability is remanded due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.,The appeal for service connection for right ankle disability is remanded due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.,The appeal for service connection for neck disability is remanded due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service.,Further assistance is needed to determine if there is a current disability related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for several conditions, including numbness of the right upper extremity, left elbow numbness, right knee disability, back condition, left knee condition, and skin disorder. As a result, all these issues are dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left knee arthritis, but denied service connection for his left shoulder osteoarthritis. The left knee condition is related to service due to a motor vehicle accident (MVA), while the left shoulder condition is not.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for his right elbow, left elbow, left wrist, and left shoulder conditions need further examination and opinion due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral shoulder arthralgia and tendonitis, as well as lumbago. The Veteran's treatment records indicate he sought medical attention for shoulder and back pain while in service. However, no VA examiner has provided an opinion on whether these disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased rating and service connection claims related to various conditions. The Board also granted service connection for TBI with manifestations of headaches and an acquired psychiatric disorder, a lumbar spine disorder with bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and a right knee disorder.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated as 10% prior to November 28, 2009 and increased to 30% from November 28, 2009 to June 13, 2012. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU. The Board also remanded several issues for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical opinions and a need to obtain an updated VA physician's opinion regarding the Veteran's left shoulder disability. The matter will be referred for consideration of whether the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder impingement with bicipital tendonitis, left forearm disability, and back condition. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.