Shoulder decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, as well as chronic bronchitis due to an undiagnosed illness. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of current disability or a link between the conditions and service.

The Board has ordered the Veteran's claims remanded for further examinations to reconcile inconsistent physical findings and determine if any of the claimed disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings prior to September 27, 2002 have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings were dismissed. The Board also remanded several issues related to effective dates.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis and migraines are service-connected, with the latter being secondary to her service-connected allergic rhinitis. The right shoulder disability is remanded for further examination, as is the eye disability. The bilateral foot disability is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a hernia secondary to Meniere’s disease, but denied service connection for the right shoulder condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability. The remaining issues of service connection for bilateral shoulder, neck, and knee disabilities as well as hypertension are also being reviewed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and right hand disability. The claim for acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied as there is no evidence that it had its onset in service or is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, right shoulder strain, compression fracture of the lumbar vertebrae with degenerative changes, PTSD with anxiety, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being remanded for additional development including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran’s hypertension is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that VA examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of various conditions, including low back and cervical spine disorders, shoulder disorders, knee disorders, hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, TBI, headaches, and hand tremors. The Veteran's service records show in-service accidents and injuries, but further medical evaluation is required to establish a connection between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder dislocation disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for an extraschedular consideration based on sleep impairment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for arthritis or residuals of fractured shoulder, bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a concussion or fracture of the skull causing mental instability with memory loss or bipolar disorder and resulting in an aneurysm, headaches, and acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD) due to additional evidence being needed.

The Board denied service connection for obesity (claimed as weight problems) due to the lack of a disability for which service connection can be granted.,Service connection was also denied for right hand disorder, right shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The Board found no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that led to these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral shin splints, bilateral knee disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), low back disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), bilateral hip disability (to include as secondary to bilateral shin splints), right shoulder condition, and upper back/neck disability have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's service connection claims are currently pending on a secondary basis to his previously denied claims of bilateral shin splints.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to clarify the Veteran's periods of active service and to obtain any outstanding military personnel records. The Veteran also needs VA examinations for his claimed disabilities, including neck disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities are denied as they do not meet the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to lack of additional disability resulting from a fall at the VA Medical Center in July 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.,Claims for bilateral shoulder condition and heart condition were not reopened as the new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient examination reports and lack of consideration of his in-service injury. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various hand, wrist, shoulder, and arm conditions.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating under Diagnostic Code 5203. The lumbar spine disability remains at a 10 percent rating.