Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The claims for migraine headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and insomnia), GERD, tinnitus, bilateral shoulder pain, low back pain, left knee pain, a right knee disorder, and a bilateral foot disorder are all remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting evidence regarding which shoulder was injured in service, and a need for further examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder condition.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed degenerative arthritis of the spine and right shoulder degenerative joint disease, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities due to additional development being necessary, including obtaining complete service personnel records and providing an opinion on whether the current disabilities are related to in-service injuries.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, a right shoulder disorder, a right knee disorder, sleep apnea, and a skin disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by current evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death. The Board cannot adjudicate the merits of the claims as they are no longer in a valid state.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee condition has been remanded due to the lack of new and material evidence.,The request for an earlier effective date for PTSD is denied as there was no communication or submission of evidence from the Veteran indicating intent to apply for benefits prior to May 28, 2014.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension has been remanded due to a lack of examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition has been remanded due to a lack of examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for both the skin condition and right shoulder disability claims due to inadequate or incomplete VA examinations. The Veteran's lay statements regarding continuity of symptoms since service are considered.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's migraine headaches and lumbosacral strain are found to be related to his active service.,The Veteran's bilateral eye condition, right elbow condition, right shoulder condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, skin condition, left elbow condition, left shoulder condition, and left ankle condition are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his disability, as the previous examination did not consider potential additional functional loss during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and back disabilities due to incomplete medical records. Additional efforts are required to obtain all relevant records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder tendonitis, finding that his lay testimony is sufficient to establish service connection due to an in-service injury and chronic condition.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee conditions due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical opinions and authorization for private treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since December 15, 2016. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist and right shoulder joint conditions due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The Veteran will be given another opportunity to attend these exams, or if he fails to do so without good cause, his claim may be rated based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for back, cervical spine, left wrist, right shin splints, and stress fracture of the right femur are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Additional examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar spine disability and left shoulder disability is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right wrist, left wrist, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to missing service treatment records and lack of recent medical evidence. The Veteran is advised to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records and undergo a VA examination.

An initial rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for right shoulder residuals with arthritis and avascular necrosis has been granted.,Service connection for PTSD was denied.