Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left shoulder disability and increased rating for his chondromalacia of the left knee.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a program of vocational rehabilitation training under Chapter 31, finding that his education and experience were sufficient to allow him to obtain suitable employment as a teacher.

The Board has remanded the issue of increased rating for tension headaches associated with TBI, as well as other service connection issues. The AOJ is instructed to obtain updated medical records and provide a clarifying opinion from the VA examiner who previously evaluated the Veteran's headaches.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines is granted, while his claims for other conditions are denied. The Veteran also received a higher rating for anxiety with PTSD.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his right shoulder, lumbar spine (prior to January 24, 2018), and left knee disabilities were denied. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for left lumbar radiculopathy but denied higher ratings for the right lumbar radiculopathy and left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for consideration of new evidence and readjudication.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder injury and bilateral pes planus, but denied service connection for low back and upper neck injuries.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's right shoulder injury as it is at least as likely as not related to an in-service motor vehicle accident. Service connection is also granted for her bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's left shoulder strain and arthritis with impingement are currently rated at 20 percent, but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of limitation of motion.,The Veteran's right shoulder strain with impingement is also rated at 20 percent, and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of limitation of motion.,The Veteran’s degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is currently rated at 10 percent, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating as it does not demonstrate limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected non-small cell lung cancer contributed to it.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received, reopening the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability and a left shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the issues of increased ratings for right clavicle/scapula impairment, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis with meniscus tear. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's TBI claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during service.,Service connection for cervical spine degenerative disc disease is denied due to lack of in-service injury or disease, and no causal relationship to service has been established.,Left shoulder degenerative joint disease was also denied as there is no in-service injury or disease, and the Veteran's current condition does not appear related to service.,Lumbar spine degenerative disc disease was denied due to lack of an in-service injury or disease, and the evidence does not support a finding that it began during service.,Radiculopathy associated with lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is also denied as there is no direct service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder strain, and low back strain with IVDS were all granted. The claims for service connection of the left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder strain, and low back strain with IVDS are denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.,The Veteran has withdrawn all issues except for entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, back disability, neck disability, sleep disability, and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and physical examinations.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claims. The Veteran's original claim was denied in 1991 due to lack of a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back, neck, bilateral shoulder, bilateral knee, and bilateral hip disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding aggravation by pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied because he failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for his service-connected left shoulder disability was denied as there is no evidence of an impairment of the humerus, including loss of head (flail shoulder).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lower back disability, left and right ankle conditions, residuals of a gunshot wound to the right shoulder, and left ear hearing loss due to potential issues with the sufficiency or reliability of the VA examinations. The Veteran is granted service connection for tinnitus.