Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations and opinions regarding his claimed conditions. The issues include bilateral shoulder disorder, skin disorder, headache disorder, and vision disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines has been granted. The claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral lower extremity varicose veins remain denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition is service-connected as it meets the requirements for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b).

The Veteran's right shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy is rated at 20 percent prior to December 29, 2019 and denied for a rating in excess of 20 percent from that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for further development, including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and TDIU due to inadequate medical opinions in the previous decisions. The case must be returned for an adequate opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disabilities, including whether they are related to his military service or caused by his service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and a neck disability, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to active service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple conditions including a right shoulder disability, chest pains, bilateral foot fungus, a right knee disability, a cervical spine disability, and breathing difficulties. The evidence does not support the Veteran's claims that these disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations and medical opinions. The Veteran is presumed competent to report his exposure during service and symptoms thereafter, but further evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his active duty.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of December 11, 2014 for the award of a TDIU. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following gainful employment as of that date.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error and the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder disability is remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded his claims of service connection for a sinus condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for various shoulder and hip disabilities, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for a 20% rating for lumbosacral strain. The Veteran is also granted entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection of his right knee, right hip, left hip, bilateral foot, bilateral ankle conditions, and joint pain are granted as they are found to be related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of an injury to the left shoulder and residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder strain and right wrist fracture are currently rated at 30 percent each, but the Board finds that they do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his left and right shoulder disabilities, as well as a service connection claim for a left foot disorder, have been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right hand, arm, and shoulder disabilities are not service-connected. The case is being sent back for further examination to determine if any of these disabilities were caused by a fault on the part of VA during a July 2008 surgical procedure.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, right shoulder joint pain, and right shoulder strain have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,Service connection has been granted for PTSD, right shoulder strain, and right shoulder joint pain.

The Veteran is granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) from November 29, 2008 due to his service-connected benign pituitary adenoma with diabetes mellitus and adrenal insufficiency.,The Veteran is also granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) from January 8, 2009 as he has two of the rates provided in subsection (l) without considering the same condition twice.