Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine disorder, left shoulder disorder, and headache disorder. The cases are now remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating increase for his left shoulder disability, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on aid and attendance/housebound status for his spouse due to inadequate development of evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder, left hip, and neck conditions due to a lack of evidence showing that these conditions began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an opinion regarding whether hypertension is secondary to a service-connected disability, specifically PTSD.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the staged ratings of his service-connected disabilities and the need for an extraschedular review.

The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is dismissed. The remaining issues of service connection for various shoulder, cervical spine, hip, knee, and ankle disabilities are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder condition, finding that her current condition is not causally related to her in-service injury and that there was no evidence of a fracture progression.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development and uncompleted tasks.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for hypertension and left knee arthritis status post arthroscopy was denied. The claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder is denied.

The Veteran's separation from service was due to a service-connected disability, allowing him to qualify for the maximum educational assistance rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, finding that it is related to his service-connected right shoulder strain and tendonitis.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus type II and lumbar spine disability due to a failure to develop these issues properly. The Veteran's service connection claims for left shoulder, right shoulder, and back disabilities are denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left leg stress fracture of tibia, right shoulder disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied service connection for left shoulder, neck or cervical spine, and left elbow disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claims for thoracic back strain, right shoulder impingement, and acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and anxiety disorder) are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, and left shoulder disability have been granted with an effective date of May 26, 2016.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are necessary to properly evaluate the Veteran's right shoulder and knee disabilities, as well as his asthma. The claims for increased ratings remain on appeal.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of November 9, 2009 for the grant of TDIU due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for valvular heart disease, an eye disability (nerve palsy residuals of head trauma), a back disability, and a right shoulder disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left shoulder disabilities due to a lack of current medical evidence. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is reopened and granted.