Shoulder decisions — 2021

The Board has granted a higher 20 percent rating for the Veteran's right knee disability, but the claims for left and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to inadequate development.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his ratings for various disabilities, including renal cell carcinoma and hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for right hip disorder, left hip disorder, and right shoulder disorder due to lack of evidence linking current conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development on the Veteran's TDIU claim, including referral to the Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service injuries.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of various hand and shoulder conditions as they have been fully granted by an August 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and related conditions are all granted as secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disability. The specific diagnoses of sleep apnea, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, heart disease, migraines, and foot disabilities are also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and right shoulder disorder. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions had their onset during or are otherwise related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, which was previously rated at 20 percent prior to January 16, 2020, is now rated at 30 percent beginning from that date. The rating period prior to January 16, 2020, saw the disability rated as 20 percent due to limitation of motion to shoulder level. From January 16, 2020 onwards, the disability is rated at 30 percent based on more limited abduction and flexion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus denying his claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate rationale in the VA opinions regarding service connection for various knee, foot, and shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's claims are now pending again.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chest pain, genitourinary issues, right shoulder injury, headache, and dizziness/blackouts, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, right knee, and left knee disorders. The case is being remanded to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's left shoulder disorder.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for his claimed hip, knee, or shoulder conditions as they are considered direct rather than secondary, presumptive, or aggravation claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his employment is considered substantially gainful and not marginal.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee replacement, cervical spine disorder (including cervical strain, cervical degenerative spondylosis, and degenerative disc disease with stenosis and myelopathy), right shoulder calcific bursitis, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right cervical radiculopathy, left cervical radiculopathy, right wrist strain, left wrist strain, right hand strain, and left hand strain are all granted. The Veteran's foot disorder other than bilateral pes planus and back disorder are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The issues include cervical spine disability, bilateral shoulder disability, right knee disability, and lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of records from the Veteran's second period of active duty service. The Veteran will be asked to provide a list of all locations and years of service, and if relevant records are found, he will be scheduled for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his left shoulder disorder.