Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability. The claims for left knee and bilateral ankle disabilities are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) because his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Veteran's service-connected back and right shoulder disabilities prevented him from securing or following gainful employment during the period from March 25, 2013 to January 30, 2014. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for this period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and right shoulder disability due to additional development of records and clarification of functional loss during flare-ups or after repeated use over time.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him unemployable prior to March 9, 2018. The Board found that the evidence showed he was capable of performing non-physical work and maintaining employment.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling examinations to assess his current disability status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder arthritis, right ankle condition, and left ankle condition due to deficiencies in the VA examination opinions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of right shoulder arthritis, right knee arthritis, and left knee arthritis as these issues were withdrawn by the Veteran's attorney during a hearing.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his residual scar, stab wound, right shoulder is being remanded due to the failure to schedule and complete a VA examination.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for back problems, left shoulder replacement, right hip replacement, left hip replacement, left knee replacement, and high blood pressure. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for left shoulder impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tendonitis is denied.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for migraines prior to September 24, 2019 is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for TDIU is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development to obtain VA treatment records, including fee emergency room documentation and physical therapy records from September 2013 and September 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome and left elbow degenerative joint disease. The issue of hypertension secondary to PTSD is remanded due to the complexity of the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and an increased rating for his rhomboid muscle strain. The evidence did not support the presence of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee condition and left shoulder condition due to new evidence received since the June 2016 statement of the case. The AOJ must consider this additional evidence, schedule a VA examination, and readjudicate the issues.

The Board has denied a higher rating for the right shoulder disability and granted a separate 20 percent rating for limitation of range of motion. The lumbosacral strain issue was dismissed due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement, and service connection for the left shoulder disability is remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and requests that another VA examiner review the expanded record to determine if it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's right shoulder arthritis had its onset during service or is related to his already service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as his right shoulder condition is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including AC separation and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent since June 10, 2014. The appeal for a higher rating has been denied.