Shoulder decisions — 2020

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

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of the assigned evaluations for his service-connected back disability, neck disability, left shoulder disability, left lower extremity neurological impairment, and right lower extremity neurological impairment have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew all remaining issues associated with these claims.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active duty service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's ligamentous injury of the right shoulder, status post arthroscopy with debridement, was granted a 20 percent evaluation effective January 23, 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in previous VA examinations regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his service-connected PTSD. The case is now returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and low back disability has been granted. The claims for PTSD are based on the Veteran's combat experience; those for shoulder disabilities and low back disability are reopened due to new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ALS, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder DJD, left shoulder DJD, and bilateral knee DJD due to the need for additional examinations and proper development.

The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis is rated at 20% from March 21, 2011. His right knee and left knee patellofemoral syndrome are each rated at 10%, with instability being the primary issue for both knees.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further verification of his periods of active duty and discharge status, as well as to determine if he qualifies for the full benefit level under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Veteran's service connection claim for basal cell carcinoma on the right shoulder is denied as there is no evidence linking it to his active duty.,The Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective April 28, 2015 due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for various joint disorders, including arthritis of the shoulders, hands, elbows, and knee, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or post-service treatment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service. The Veteran's preexisting condition was presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for gout, a bilateral foot disability (other than arthritis), and arthritis of multiple joints, excluding the right shoulder, right elbow, cervical spine and lumbar spine.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of a 30% rating for residuals of left shoulder injury with degenerative changes, finding that his symptoms did not warrant such a rating prior to January 24, 2009.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder disability, low back disability, bilateral hip disability, jaw fracture, and pulmonary disability. The issues have been remanded to allow for examinations and additional evidence.

The claim for service connection for hallux rigidus of the right foot has been reopened, but a remand is required to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the condition. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition requires additional development including obtaining medical records and determining if the Veteran's current condition may be related to his military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was initially rated as 20 percent disabling prior to October 11, 2012 and increased to 40 percent rating from October 11, 2012 to February 1, 2017. The Board found that higher ratings were not warranted for any period on appeal.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability was characterized as ankylosis with posttraumatic arthritis and rated at 40 percent under Code 5200 from October 11, 2012 to February 1, 2017. The Board concluded that the criteria for a higher rating were not met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a left shoulder and leg disability, have been denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship to his military service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and a dose estimate.