Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities due to incomplete verification of his National Guard service records.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to incomplete VA treatment records, insufficient examination opinions, and need for additional medical evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and a left shoulder disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board found that his condition does not warrant a higher rating as it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's service-connected right ankle, left shoulder, and left radial nerve disabilities. The issues of increased evaluations for these conditions have been remanded.

The Board has ordered a remand for the left shoulder disorder claim due to incomplete VA treatment records and inadequate prior examination. The Veteran must be provided with a new VA examination to determine if his current left shoulder disorders are related to his military service.

The Veteran's petition to readjudicate claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, lung disability (lung condition), and ear disability (acute otitis media) is granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The claims are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, actinic keratosis, and basal cell carcinoma were denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder arthritis is granted service connection, while his left hip and right hip degenerative arthritis, neck condition, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and left shoulder condition are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records from Thomas Memorial Hospital and VA Community Care records. The Veteran is seeking reimbursement for medical treatment received at a private hospital, but the completeness of the records is needed to determine if VA should have authorized the treatment.

The Veteran's SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance is granted, as he requires assistance with dressing and preparing meals due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, post thoracotomy pain syndrome, and tender long thoracotomy scar with cross shaped scars due to additional delay caused by new evidence provided by the Veteran.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and conducting examinations to address the Veteran's service connection claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that they are related to his military service. The claims for congenital absence of the bilateral pectoralis major muscles with recurrent dislocations were remanded due to conflicting opinions.

The Veteran's right shoulder and right knee injuries are remanded due to incomplete service personnel records, which may contain information regarding the dates of his service in reserve.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's disabilities are related to his military service, specifically in-service injuries or illnesses. The VA examinations need to address these issues and provide a rationale for their conclusions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder strain, finding that his current disability is related to an in-service injury and there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, including a labral tear, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current condition is not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate consideration of the Veteran's lay statements in a previous VA medical opinion. A new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder is related to service.

The Board denied reopening and granting service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence.