Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to inextricability between TDIU and DEA benefits, and for consideration of a possible extraschedular TDIU rating prior to April 7, 2010.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examination and remanded directives not being addressed. The Veteran's right shoulder condition will need further evaluation.

The Veteran requested to withdraw all issues currently on appeal before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder. The issues of service connection for his right shoulder, neck, and bilateral knee disorders are also being remanded.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and left shoulder injury have been granted. The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records.,Service connection is granted for hearing loss and tinnitus, with hypertension and left shoulder injury being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable initial rating for tension headaches, service connection for muscle tension in shoulders and neck secondary to anxiety disorder, and hypertension are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions, including OSA, ED, hair replacement, eye disability, shin splints, shoulder disabilities, and PTSD. The Veteran also has pending claims for service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder disability and associated paresthesia are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and clarification of the rating decisions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including stomach pain, restless leg syndromes, and a right shoulder disability. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disorder, right shoulder impingement syndrome, sleep apnea (claimed as a breathing disorder), and psychiatric disorder due to new evidence and exposure to burn pits in Iraq.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder and wrist De Quervain's tenosynovitis. The Veteran's other claims, including right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and left wrist conditions (excluding De Quervain's), are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several claims, including those related to the Veteran's right knee disability, back disability, TBI, respiratory disability, headache disability, left forearm scar, hypertension, bilateral shoulder disorder, neck disorder, bilateral foot disorder, right hip disorder, chest disorder, and bilateral foot fungus. The RO is instructed to obtain all relevant medical records from VA facilities and any private providers.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA must obtain updated treatment records and provide a new opinion addressing the nature and origin of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to TBI, cervical spine disorder, right leg disorder, left knee disorder, right thumb disorder, left thumb disorder, deviated septum with post-surgery complications, sleep disorder, and right knee disorder have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, his claims remain denied as there is no legal basis for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of December 23, 2010 for the Veteran's entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The decision is based on the fact that the Veteran was entitled to a combined rating of at least 70 percent with a single disability rated at 40 percent or more since December 23, 2010, and his service-connected disabilities have prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment since that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder was denied due to insufficient evidence showing the condition had its onset in service or is otherwise related to service.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic diarrhea prior to October 13, 2010 was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as urinary disability. The decision also remanded the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction.,The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various lower extremity disabilities, including right shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle conditions, all secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative disc disease. The case will be reviewed with a new examination to address the etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a right shoulder disability and IBS, both secondary to type II diabetes mellitus, have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of neck disability, left arm pain, left shoulder pain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded for further development.