Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the claims for lower back condition, respiratory/sinus condition, and bilateral shoulder conditions are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lipoma of the left upper back area is denied as there is no evidence linking it to his military service, including herbicide exposure. The claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, and joint pain are all remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's left shoulder tendinitis is granted a 30 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's low back disability remains at a 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disorders are related to an injury sustained during service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her in need of regular aid and attendance, which is required to protect her from hazards or dangers incident to her daily environment. As a result, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined effect of all his disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes was denied. The issues of service connection for left shoulder disorder and right hip disorder, to include as due to the back disability, were remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused or aggravated his obesity, which is a substantial factor in causing his sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of his left shoulder disability, finding that it pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for neck and right shoulder disorders due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability and its relationship to his service-connected left shoulder disability.

The Board has granted service connection and assigned a 30% disability rating for asthma, effective from October 8, 2013. The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities (right and left) are also granted as service connected, with the right shoulder having chronic pain and the left shoulder having chronic pain. Service connection is also granted for residuals of a left ankle sprain. Tinnitus is also granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to issues regarding his right upper extremity disability, including pain and limitation of motion. The left shoulder disability rating claim has been granted with a 30% evaluation for the specified periods.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for additional development due to inadequate reasons and bases in the July 2020 decision. The Veteran's service connection claims for various orthopedic disabilities, including right shoulder, right hand, low back, right knee, and left knee disabilities, as well as a psychiatric disability, are being returned for further review.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, right foot, and left foot disabilities as they are not shown to be directly related to active duty or secondary to a pre-existing condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip, left hip, and both shoulder disabilities are not related to service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination and reasoning regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection of arthritis of the left shoulder. The examiner did not consider the continuity of symptoms since service and the possibility of secondary service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury and continuous symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and disabilities have been dismissed due to his death.