Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome was granted service connection, and his plantar fasciitis received a higher rating from February 12, 2015 to March 2, 2016, and from July 1, 2016 to October 27, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder have prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection claims related to various musculoskeletal conditions, hearing loss, vision loss, and skin conditions. The heart condition claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current heart condition or any relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, including an extraschedular consideration. The decision is pending and more evidence may be needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his left shoulder, left knee, and low back disabilities. The claims are being returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a bilateral leg disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral foot disability, low back disability, and headaches due to insufficient evidence or lack of examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various joint and skin conditions in his lower legs, hands, shoulders, elbows, and knees. The AOJ is instructed to attempt to obtain the Veteran’s missing service treatment records and VA treatment records from December 2016 onwards.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including a brain disorder, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and low back disability, are not service-connected as they do not have a direct link to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for a left shoulder disability and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder strain due to incomplete development and failure to obtain all relevant records, including personnel and treatment records. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee and shoulder conditions must be remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder degenerative joint disease and granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Board found no evidence linking the current conditions to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including right thumb disability, left thumb disability, left shoulder disability, and facial reconstruction, all claimed as secondary to falls resulting from service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy in both legs. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is proximately due to or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder strain with radiculopathy, degenerative arthritis of the spine with spondylosis, and cervical spine degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending, as is his request for an initial compensable rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the severity of his service-connected psychophysiologic gastro-intestinal disorder. The left shoulder disorder claim is denied as there is no evidence it was incurred during service or related to an in-service injury.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left arm disability and back disability. The claims are also being referred to determine if an extraschedular TDIU rating is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder condition and bilateral eye disability have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for service connection on secondary basis is remanded due to failure to comply with previous remand directives. The AOJ must obtain updated VA and private treatment records, reschedule missed VA examinations, and provide a VA examination if deemed necessary.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for GERD, right and left hand peripheral neuropathy, right and left shoulder disability, right and left ankle disability, and residuals of a branchial cleft cyst excision. The Board also granted service connection for a low back disability (moderate spondylosis) and associated right and left lower extremity radiculopathy.