Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging a VA examination.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of April 16, 1999 for the service connection of left and right shoulder disabilities. The evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions manifested prior to that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his combined rating did not meet the schedular criteria and that he was capable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination, including verification of service dates and obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for dysplastic nevi of the left shoulder and abdomen due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the condition. A new VA examination is required.

The Veteran's after-tax disability severance pay was improperly recouped from his VA disability compensation as the left shoulder disability, for which he was medically separated from active service, was incurred during a parachute training accident.

The Veteran's appeals for various disability ratings have been dismissed as he did not properly identify the specific issues he wanted to appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder strain, right and left knee disorders, right and left hip disorders, sleep apnea, and insomnia are all granted. The Board found that the current diagnoses of these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for neck, collarbone, right shoulder, and left knee disabilities due to the cumulative impact of his duties as a gunnery mate during active duty. The Veteran reported continuous pain since service and indicated that this pain limits his functional ability.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 30 percent since November 1, 2015. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating as there is no severe pain or weakness in the affected extremity.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, cirrhosis of the liver, and bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability and radiculopathy are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the case is now closed.

The Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating for DJD of the right shoulder prior to June 2, 2010. From June 2, 2010, his disability remains rated at 20 percent.,For DJD of the left knee, a 10 percent rating was granted from June 5, 2007 to April 7, 2017. After that date, he is entitled to a 30 percent rating for instability and ankylosis.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete record requests and procedural issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous directives. The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability is being reviewed for service connection, and an addendum opinion is needed to reconcile conflicting evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder trapezius strain, cervical strain with degenerative joint disease (claimed as neck condition), left upper extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy have been granted. The effective dates are set at April 14, 2016.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder has been rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating based on range of motion limitations.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as he is already receiving a 20 percent rating for recurrent left shoulder dislocations and the Board found that a separate 20 percent rating for limited motion of the left shoulder is warranted.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, neck disability, bilateral hip disability, and bilateral knee disability. However, it denied these claims as there is no evidence linking any of these conditions to service.