Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided in connection with these claims were inadequate for adjudication purposes as they did not provide a complete rationale for their opinions, did not consider the Veteran's lay statements and heavily relied on the absence of contemporaneous medical evidence to support negative nexus opinions.,Therefore, the Board finds that remand is necessary so that the RO can obtain new medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran’s disabilities are directly related to his service or otherwise proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities is denied as there was no prior formal or informal claim filed before April 29, 2013.

The Veteran's right eye chalazion is not service-connected and a compensable rating is denied.,The issues of service connection for left shoulder disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, type II diabetes, and erectile dysfunction are dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims at the hearing.,Service connection for a right shoulder disability is granted.,Issues regarding increased ratings for right knee and low back disabilities, and service connection for hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including folliculitis and a left shoulder disability, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritic conditions of his upper extremities due to a lack of medical evidence supporting the Veteran's theories of entitlement. The Veteran was provided with release forms and requested records, but did not provide additional information.

The Veteran's current hypertension had its clinical onset during her period of active duty service, and the Board finds that service connection for hypertension is warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, sleep apnea, residuals of traumatic brain injury, tuberculosis, COPD, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also denied a higher rating for PTSD prior to April 28, 2016, and an effective date earlier than April 28, 2016 for the grant of TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from maintaining gainful employment, and the Board denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disabilities do not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment, as his other non-service-connected conditions and age also limit his ability to work.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various hand, foot, and ankle disorders have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left elbow arthritis, but denied claims for left hand arthritis and hand swelling and numbness, as well as left shoulder arthritis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and left shoulder degenerative disease (arthritis) due to a lack of credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral medial epicondylitis, osteoarthritis in the left shoulder, left ankle strain, and arthritis in the left hand and right hand due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has denied service connection for joint pain of the neck, bilateral hips, left shoulder, bilateral elbows/forearms, and left hand as there is no evidence of a current disability that meets the threshold requirement for service connection.,The Veteran's symptoms have not been shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a more adequate VA medical examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability, specifically considering his reported in-service injuries.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his disabilities of the left shoulder, right shoulder and left knee has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders due to inadequate medical opinions provided in the October 2020 VA DBQs.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder, lumbar spine, and right hip disorders due to insufficient medical opinions provided in a previous remand.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to service. The VA examiner needs to consider and discuss all relevant medical and lay evidence, including the Veteran's testimony about his in-service injury and continuous treatment since then.