Shoulder decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected cervical spine, left shoulder, and right knee disabilities due to insufficient examinations and missing treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chest pain, head pain (including headaches), left elbow disability, lumbar spine disability, left knee disability, bilateral shoulder disability, dizziness, and gastrointestinal disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran is requested to obtain an addendum opinion with adequate rationale.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his left shoulder disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating, and his claim of service connection for a back disability was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability and right shoulder disability, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's neck, left hand, right hand, left elbow, and right elbow conditions as secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability, right heel disability, and sinus disability due to unavailability of service treatment records and need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hammertoe and biceps tendinitis, as there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology. The Veteran needs additional medical opinions regarding whether these conditions are related to her service-connected disabilities or if they were caused by other factors.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sickle cell trait, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and back disorder due to new evidence or clarification of existing evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder impingement syndrome, left shoulder impingement syndrome, right elbow degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease have been granted initial disability ratings. The GERD has also been granted a higher initial disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates due to a lack of updated assessments. The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his right knee, left knee, and right shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to assess the severity of his neck and right shoulder disabilities, as the previous VA examinations were inadequate.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increasing ratings for his bilateral extremity shin splints and right shoulder disability. The case is being remanded to reschedule VA examinations.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left shoulder disability, and a heart disorder due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been withdrawn. The appeal for tinnitus has been remanded.

Service connection for anhidrosis is granted. The Veteran's in-service sympathectomy resulted in anhidrosis above the chest.,Service connection for a neurological disability of the right lower extremity and left lower extremity is denied as there is no separate disability found.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues except service connection for sinusitis, which was dismissed. The remaining appeals were also dismissed as the Veteran expressed satisfaction with his current combined disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and right knee disabilities were evaluated, with the right shoulder disability denied for increased evaluations in excess of 20 percent. The right knee disability was also denied for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder due to insufficient rationale in the VA examination report.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by recurrent dislocation and degenerative arthritis, has been rated at 20 percent since January 2014. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as the condition only limits motion to midway between the side and shoulder level.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined disability rating did not meet the schedular criteria and that he was capable of performing light physical or sedentary work.