Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, left shoulder disability, left knee disability, low back disability, and sarcoidosis of the right lower lip. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed stressors for PTSD, lack of VA examinations for other disabilities, and need for additional development related to exposure to asbestos.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and remanded the issue of service connection for a thoracic spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right shoulder and pelvis disabilities due to inadequate VA examination reports and missing recent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder disorder and his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and consideration of whether a reduction in rating from 20 percent to noncompensable is warranted for right shoulder impingement and urethral stricture with voiding dysfunction.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for PTSD, finding that there was no formal or informal claim prior to July 25, 2011. The appeal is now remanded for further development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted in some cases, but denied on the merits. The decisions are mixed as to whether certain conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of DJD of the right shoulder and a rating in excess of 30 percent for his SFW residuals to MGs II and IV, as well as TDIU prior to August 14, 2007, have all been denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal for TDIU due to a withdrawal by the Veteran. The case is remanded for further evaluation of the right shoulder disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder posttraumatic arthritis, labrum tear, and degeneration. The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20% for lumbar spine, status post L4-5 fusion residuals with intervertebral disc syndrome is withdrawn. The Board has also remanded the issue of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for traumatic brain injury.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities are related to his in-service parachute jumps. The tinnitus is linked to military noise exposure, and bilateral hearing loss is associated with service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, which includes a labral tear and subsequent surgery, began during his military service and is therefore granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination to assess his left shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder injury and deteriorated joints in the left hand are denied. The claim for a left shoulder injury is granted, but new evidence does not establish a current disability.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a disability rating of 70% from June 27, 2017 to September 19, 2017. The right shoulder tendonitis and left knee strain with laxity are granted initial evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination and failure to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his continuous shoulder pain since service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has decided to remand this case for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder disability and his service, including a lack of an adequate medical examination. The Veteran is asked to provide any outstanding private medical records and undergo a VA examination.