Shoulder decisions — 2020

The Board has withdrawn appeals for service connection for right shoulder strain, intercostal muscle (claimed as right-side rib), bilateral hearing loss, rhinitis, respiratory disability, and tinnitus. Appeals for TBI, migraine headaches, increased rating for anxiety disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, effective date prior to May 16, 2018 for service connection for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and effective date prior to May 16, 2018 for service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left and right shoulder disabilities, low back disorder, multiple joint pain, diabetes mellitus type II, residuals of a head injury (TBI), and vertigo. The reasons were that the Veteran did not have evidence of these conditions during or immediately after military service, and there was no clear connection to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right arm disabilities, specifically addressing his contentions of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder, but denied service connection for right knee and ankle disorders. The appeal regarding the right shoulder disorder is being remanded.,Service connection was granted for a low back disorder due to superimposed injury on a congenital defect of spina bifida occulta.

The Veteran's hearing loss and left shoulder disability were evaluated, with the hearing loss rated as non-compensable and the left shoulder disability rated at 20 percent. Both conditions have been denied for increased ratings.

The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 20 percent since June 7, 2016 and 10 percent prior to that date. The lumbar spine disability remains rated at 40 percent.,Service connection for a right hip disability, right shoulder disability, and left knee disability are remanded due to insufficient examination opinions addressing the required elements of service connection.,,

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for shoulder injuries, as well as for SMC on account of need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, and right shoulder disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. Additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neck strain, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and right knee disability. The decision is based on insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected.,The claim for skin cancer associated with herbicide exposure and scars from treatment are remanded due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records and failure to comply with previous remands. The Veteran's service connection claim remains on appeal as direct service connection is being considered.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for left shoulder, left wrist, left hand, right wrist, and left leg disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for tinea pedis of the bilateral feet and a right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred during active military service. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not rated higher than noncompensable.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative joint disease. The issues of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, skin condition (rosacea), autoimmune hepatitis, hepatic steatosis, residuals of liver transplant, and hepatic encephalitis are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities and a headache disability due to inadequate medical opinions in prior decisions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service falls are considered, as well as VA treatment records and other evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as his combined schedular rating is less than total and he has not demonstrated that his service-connected conditions alone are severe enough to warrant TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a disability rating for his postoperative Bristow procedure for recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and lumbar spine disorders, finding that there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's rotoscoliosis and intervertebral disc syndrome (lumbar spine disability) are currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the bilateral shoulders and cervical degenerative disc disease remains pending as additional development is needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to February 13, 2020, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.