Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, qualifying for TDIU. The dental disorder was not incurred or aggravated by service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The claims are currently pending.,Service connection is denied for bilateral shoulder condition, bilateral knee condition, and sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is found to be etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeals.,The Board has also remanded several issues, including an evaluation for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, a compensable evaluation for left testicular varicocele with right testicular pain and tenderness, an evaluation for restless leg syndrome, and service connection for a traumatic brain injury.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for migraine headaches and left shoulder conditions. The appeal is also remanded for consideration of additional evidence received since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for further development due to the submission of additional evidence not previously reviewed by the AOJ. The Veteran's increased rating claim for left knee disability, service connection claims for eye disability, joint pain, neck disability, headaches, and prostate cancer are all being remanded.

The Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome is rated at 20 percent prior to May 23, 2016, and denied for a higher rating thereafter.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for his left shoulder strain, left knee disability, or lumbar spine condition at any time during the relevant period. Service connection was also denied for PTSD as it did not meet the criteria for total occupational and social impairment.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for his left shoulder disability is being remanded due to an inadequate VA examination. The examiner did not include the required testing as per Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for major depressive disorder was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for TDIU was granted due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's low back disability is now rated at 40 percent, effective from the date of this decision.,The Veteran's right shoulder condition is now rated at 30 percent, effective from the date of this decision. The TDIU claim was denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various foot, shoulder, hip, ankle, fatigue, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and psychiatric conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.,There was no medical nexus provided to link any of the Veteran's current diagnoses to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a right shoulder disability and TDIU due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives regarding retrospective opinions, FAA records, and employment history.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder and degenerative joint disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine were denied as his conditions do not warrant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of current hearing loss disability in either ear.,The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder disorder, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis, to include as secondary to lumbar strain disability. The case is being returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of nexus opinions and for clarification regarding the severity of his left shoulder disability. The issues include chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic constipation, PTSD, bilateral hip, hand, foot, elbow, and knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection for various conditions have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of all pending claims.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a right shoulder disorder due to inadequate medical opinion in the November 2019 VA examination. The Veteran's current right shoulder disorder is being reviewed with an addendum opinion.