Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for various ankle and shoulder disabilities, as well as an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and the residuals of a right shoulder injury is granted. The case is remanded for additional development, including verifying National Guard service periods and obtaining treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not provided to support the reopening of these claims. The Board also found that there is no nexus between the claimed conditions and active military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right shoulder disability and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that new evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims and that there is no link between the disabilities and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder was denied. The appeal is denied as the evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his shoulder disabilities due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the right shoulder disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected right elbow disability, and for additional development of private treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for left shoulder tendonitis was granted effective August 19, 2013. The appeal for an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's claim for genital herpes was granted effective March 19, 1992. The appeal for an earlier effective date is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability prior to January 16, 2019 remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and a disability of multiple joints, including hands, shoulders, knees, hips, and fingers. The Veteran's representative raised the theory that his joint disabilities are part of a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back and right shoulder conditions, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the original claim of a low back condition and concluding that there is no current diagnosis or functional impairment related to a right shoulder condition.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability, but denied the claim as there is no evidence that the condition began during service or is related to any in-service injury. The Veteran's current diagnosis does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss and left shoulder disability has been granted. The Veteran is now entitled to a 50% evaluation for tension headaches, effective December 16, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine, bilateral shoulder, and bilateral arm disorders due to outstanding VA and private treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims will be adjudicated again after obtaining additional evidence.

The Board has granted a clothing allowance for the left wrist splint used to treat service-connected carpal tunnel syndrome. The right wrist splint, bilateral knee braces, and menthol/methyl salicylate topical medication are denied as they do not meet the criteria for an annual clothing allowance.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle, hip, knee, neck, and shoulder disabilities due to new evidence submitted. However, these claims are still remanded as VA examinations are needed to determine if there is a link between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's disability ratings were restored as of January 17, 2017, due to the improper reduction in his disability ratings for service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50% prior to August 29, 2016 and granted a 100% rating effective September 21, 2018.,The Veteran's Right Shoulder Disability was rated at 20% prior to August 29, 2016 and granted a 40% rating effective September 21, 2018.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and jaw tumor residuals are granted service connection, with the latter being attributed to a disease rather than periodontal disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability and neck disability due to insufficient medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement.

The Board has vacated the October 25, 2018 decision regarding compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right shoulder disability due to the Veteran's death in July 2016 and dismissed the appeal as moot.