Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the medical expenses incurred at Macon County General Hospital on July 21, 2012 were eligible for reimbursement due to the nature of the emergency and the unavailability of a VA facility.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there is no evidence linking his current disabilities to an in-service injury or event.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pension claim should be remanded to assign ratings for his nonservice-connected disabilities and consider extraschedular considerations. The AOJ is instructed to reassess these issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, left knee condition, and chronic dry eyes due to incomplete development of his claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left wrist and shoulder disabilities due to inadequate factual bases in a previous VA examination.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain and callouses of the bilateral feet are being remanded for further evaluation.,Service connection for sleep apnea is also being remanded due to conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is denied as not incurred or aggravated by service. The Veteran's left shoulder DJD is granted with a 20% rating from August 22, 2016 and denied prior to that date.

The Veteran's increased rating for left shoulder disability is remanded due to the lack of recent VA examination and updated treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder prior to June 21, 2019 was denied. A 30 percent rating is granted for the condition since that date.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for post-operative residuals of dislocation of the left shoulder remains denied.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to June 21, 2019 was remanded due to lack of issuance of an SSOC.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral arm and hand conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis affecting the shoulders, hands, and wrists, as they are not related to service or secondary to a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, bilateral knee disabilities, neck disability, and other joint disabilities due to inadequate development and examination.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran’s claims for service connection for left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left knee condition, and right knee condition.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for GERD prior to March 9, 2017 was granted. From March 9, 2017 onwards, the claim was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a 60% rating under Diagnostic Code 7346.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, an acquired psychiatric disability, a right knee disability, and a left shoulder disability due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and neck disabilities due to conflicting medical opinions and a need for additional VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his specific phobia with generalized anxiety disorder and left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under the applicable criteria. The case is remanded to allow for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran’s conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for a disorder of the left hand and sleep apnea due to inadequate September 2016 VA examinations.