Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and a back disability, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service. However, the claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating and TDIU was denied. The case is remanded to clarify the Veteran's last date of full-time employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and needs another VA examination to determine the current severity of the right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disability, left knee surgical scar, and cervical spine disability due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues include rating his right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as determining if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history, resulting in the denial of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to July 27, 2015 did not prevent her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected. The Board has remanded for further development regarding his right shoulder, hip, and knee disabilities due to potential Reserve service exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and other disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.,Service connection was not granted for any of the claimed disabilities due to lack of medical evidence showing a relationship with service.

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent disability rating for the winged scapula of the right shoulder since June 5, 2021.,A compensable disability rating (20%) was denied for the long thoracic nerve paralysis of the right upper extremity associated with the winged scapula prior to June 5, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a left shoulder disability, bilateral wrist and ankle disabilities, and a back disability have been denied. The right shoulder disability, diabetes, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded for further examination.,The Veteran was not provided with examinations to determine the current nature and etiology of his claimed conditions by VA since those in February 2013.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to January 23, 2013 due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected right shoulder disability prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's right shoulder glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis status post rotator cuff repair was reduced from 30 percent to 20 percent effective March 3, 2017. The Board finds that the reduction was improper due to a failure to consider whether there was material improvement in the Veteran's condition and if it would be maintained under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as right and left knee disabilities. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions and need for additional medical examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, and degenerative disc disease (claimed as lower back) due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's discharge from active military service is considered under other than honorable conditions due to being AWOL for over 180 days. The Board found no compelling circumstances warranting the prolonged absence, thus denying VA benefits.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected right and left shoulder tendonitis, as well as his cervical spine disability, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 20 percent for each shoulder and 30 percent for the cervical spine.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck, back, right shoulder, and left knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA is instructed to obtain updated treatment records and provide a supplemental medical opinion addressing the nature and etiology of each disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion and lack of relevant medical records.