Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Veteran's major depressive disorder with anxious distress is rated at 70 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran also received a grant for service connection for left shoulder strain with degenerative changes.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition. The Veteran contends that his condition has worsened since his last VA examination in January 2017.

The Board has denied service connection for treatment purposes under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 17 for multiple conditions including right shoulder, right knee, left knee, low back pain, restless leg syndrome, headaches (cephalalgia), chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. The character of the appellant's discharge from his period of service was found to be a bar to VA compensation benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the issues are being remanded for additional examination to determine if his current disabilities are related to his motor vehicle accident in 1973.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder glenohumeral arthritis, which he claimed as a left shoulder rotator cuff injury. The decision is based on the finding that his current condition was incurred during active duty.

The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, and migraines/headaches due to a lack of in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's claims are based on direct service connection.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine and tailbone/coccyx disabilities, finding no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The right shoulder and left shoulder disabilities were also denied as the Veteran's STRs did not show any complaints or findings related to these conditions.,Service connection was not granted because there is no medical evidence linking current lumbar spine, tailbone/coccyx, right shoulder, or left shoulder disabilities to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The remaining issues, including PTSD, sleep apnea, left shoulder disability, back disability, skin cancer, and kidney stones (claimed as kidney stones), are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right hand, shoulder, hip, and knee degenerative joint diseases based on credible lay testimony of in-service incurrence and chronicity.

Service connection for a heart condition, claimed as arrhythmia and flutter, is denied.,Service connection for insomnia is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to active service or events therein.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus is reopened, but the Board finds that there is not enough evidence to grant the claim. The right shoulder disability and lumbar spine disability are also remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder is granted. The Veteran's claims for left shoulder, sleep apnea, and lumbar spine disorders are remanded due to lack of VA examination opinions. The Veteran's claims for bilateral knee disorders are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various musculoskeletal disorders, including cervical and lumbar spine disorders, bilateral ankle, hip, knee, shoulder, and wrist disorders. The VA examinations are needed to address continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of residuals of a left shoulder injury has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is also granted for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD and GERD, but the issue remains remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, left lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), and right shoulder acromioclavicular joint separation are each rated at 20 percent. The initial rating for the left knee strain is also granted at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, low back, and neck disabilities due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The claims are now pending again.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder was received within one year of the December 2009 rating decision. The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted, making the August 1984, April 2002, and December 2009 decisions final. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder was remanded due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis, claimed as neck, back, and shoulder condition. The Veteran contends that his current conditions are related to a truck accident during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to February 27, 2003 for separate 20 percent evaluations for left shoulder gunshot wound residuals in muscle groups II and III.,There was no clear and unmistakable error found in the December 1968 rating decision regarding service connection or the assignment of ratings.