Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Veteran's effective date for service connection of his right shoulder condition is granted as August 21, 2013. However, the rating assigned remains at 20 percent.

The Board has dismissed all the claims of service connection due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's initial rating for left shoulder rotator cuff strain is denied, and his thoracic and lumbar strain and spasm are granted with a 20% rating. Other conditions remain denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and Crohn’s disease. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left knee disability, low back disability, tremors of the hands and legs, cold injury residuals, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung disability are all remanded due to insufficient evidence or need for additional examination.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for various conditions are dismissed.,The rating reduction from 20 percent to 0 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left shoulder with chronic separation was proper.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and left shoulder disability (claimed as secondary to the right shoulder) due to insufficient reasoning in the January 2018 decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to a lack of recent medical examinations, worsening symptoms, or other factors.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims to reopen for right shoulder disability and cervical spine disability, but denied his claim of service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The case is remanded for further development regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent impingement syndrome of the right shoulder is rated at 20 percent, effective from the date of service connection. A temporary total rating for convalescence due to surgery is granted from June 26, 2017 to September 27, 2017. The Veteran's compensable scar is not granted.

The Veteran's non-VA medical expenses incurred at Heritage Valley Sewickley on January 9, 2015 are reimbursed as a VA facility was not feasibly available and attempts to use the nearest VA facility would not have been reasonable.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder impingement but denied service connection for a left knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis prior to October 10, 2015 was denied. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss service connection was also denied. A rating in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis since October 10, 2015 was denied.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted for the Veteran's left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities did not comply with the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), and Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017). As such, the case is being remanded for further action.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which is service-connected and not related to any exposure basis or the PACT Act, has been granted a 30% evaluation. The decision concludes that the Veteran's functional loss due to constant, chronic pain significantly interferes with his daily activities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left foot, left ankle, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for left shoulder and ankle disabilities, as well as service connection for a low back disorder, was granted. The low back disorder is found to be secondary to the service-connected left knee and left ankle disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and small bowel obstruction. The Veteran's VA treatment records from October 2014 to the present need to be obtained, as well as any private physician records that may exist.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance of another. The issues regarding service connection for Parkinson’s disease and sleep apnea secondary to PTSD have not yet been adjudicated.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 6, 2009 and also denied an extraschedular TDIU. The evidence did not establish that the Veteran was unable to find and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.