Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of various disabilities, including left shoulder, right elbow, bilateral eye, respiratory, neurological, back, knee, leg, psychiatric, and gastrointestinal disabilities. The Veteran is requested to provide authorization for VA to obtain relevant private treatment records and undergo appropriate examinations.

The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for degenerative joint disease and internal derangement of the left shoulder, status post hermiarthroplasty is denied due to lack of evidence showing additional disability was caused by VA treatment or examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chin laceration, right shoulder condition, and migraine headaches due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in the line of duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left shoulder condition, lumbosacral and thoracic sprain, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for a right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, and service connection of tension headaches.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent prior to July 7, 2016 and denied for a rating greater than 20 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the claims for a right foot/toe disorder and a right shoulder disorder due to outstanding service treatment records.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for asthma is denied as there is no credible evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, bilateral shoulder disorders, TBI, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, and radiculopathy of the left upper extremity has been reopened. Service connection is granted for headaches and TBI. The claims for bilateral shoulder disorders and both types of radiculopathy are denied.

The Board has determined that additional efforts are needed to obtain the Veteran's current address and schedule him for VA examinations. The claims for increased ratings, service connection, and secondary service connection will be remanded.

The Veteran's claim for obesity is dismissed. The claims of service connection for CAD, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are granted to the extent that new evidence has been received supporting these claims. Other issues remain pending.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for right shoulder pain should be remanded due to additional evidence being added to the record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder, left shoulder, and lumbar spine disabilities are not related to his active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, and right shoulder strain have been granted. The claim for PTSD remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain degenerative joint disease and cervical spine condition effective from August 15, 2018. Service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and right carpal tunnel syndrome was also granted but with an earlier effective date of August 15, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed sinus disability, sleep disability, low back disability, neck disability, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability. The VA is required to provide a new examination or opinion if it finds that the current evidence of record is inadequate.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration. Specifically, a VA scar examination is needed to address the discrepancy in reporting of right shoulder scar size between 2013 and 2018. An addendum opinion is also required regarding whether any current disability of the left shoulder is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further review due to a duty to assist error and potential extraschedular TDIU consideration prior to February 7, 2014. The issues of effective dates are also being remanded as they may be affected by the outcome of the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, left knee pain, right knee pain, heart disorder (ischemic heart disease), bilateral hearing loss, and back disorder are all granted. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes, skin condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, IBS, left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, left hand pain, left arm pain, lower back pain, and bilateral toe conditions have all been denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for an upper respiratory disorder, diastolic heart failure (claimed as heart condition), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).