Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for scarring on forehead, left shoulder condition, right hip condition, and lower back condition due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a right knee disorder and a right shoulder disorder, finding that the evidence did not support the Veteran's contentions of in-service injury or disease. The disorders were first diagnosed many years after service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that a TDIU is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lung disorder, back disability, and left shoulder disability due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiners' opinions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left arm (including elbow) arthritis, right arm (including elbow) arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, left hand arthritis, and right hand arthritis due to inadequate medical opinions.,Further development is needed to address the Veteran's lay contentions regarding continuous symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of direct or secondary service connection. The Board noted that the Veteran's current right shoulder disabilities were not related to his military service and did not find any aggravation by his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of VA examination regarding the left shoulder disability. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again with new evidence.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis is rated at 30 percent, but no higher. The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder conditions.

Service connection is granted for a right shoulder disability.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hand, wrists, hip, knee, elbow, ankle, and foot disabilities.,Service connection is denied for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic headache disability, entitlement to an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for cardiomegaly, and service connection for bilateral eye disability have been dismissed. The Veteran also withdrew his claims for service connection for dizziness, service connection for left ear hearing loss, and service connection for a respiratory disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right leg disability, and therefore denied her claim for service connection. The other issues are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's proposed reduction from a 30% to a 20% rating for his right shoulder disability was dismissed because the appeal was filed prematurely.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on all the issues, including service connection for heart disorder and prostate disorder, as well as evaluations for various injuries and conditions. As a result, these appeals are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the bilateral glenohumeral joints was incurred during active duty, and service connection for this disability is therefore granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a left shoulder disorder, a back disorder, heart/ischemic heart disease, and a right foot disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and a left shoulder disability due to incomplete VA examinations, lack of service treatment records, and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee strain, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, and thoracolumbar spine strain due to incomplete compliance with prior remand instructions.

The Veteran's bilateral foot disorder, major depressive disorder, right wrist disorder, and lichen planus are granted service connection. The remaining issues of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder, neck disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral knee disorder are remanded due to the passage of time since the last VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a finger condition, back condition, bilateral shoulder condition, bilateral ear condition (to include hearing loss and recurrent infections), and acquired psychiatric disorder (unspecified-schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder) due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for further medical examinations.