Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and review of the evidence. The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ankle, bilateral elbow, and left shoulder disorders are currently under consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and information regarding the qualifications of the VA examiners.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to be unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since April 1, 2007. His TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for entitlement to service connection for right elbow, right shoulder, upper back, and lower back disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and bilateral shoulder conditions are remanded for further evaluation. The right shoulder condition is granted a 20% rating prior to February 26, 2020, but denied ratings in excess of 20%. The left shoulder condition is also granted a 20% rating prior to February 26, 2020, but denied ratings in excess of 20%.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by pain and limited function, has not met the criteria for a higher rating than 20 percent throughout the initial rating period on appeal.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for the service-connected left shoulder rotator cuff tear has been granted at a 20 percent level.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of right shoulder, right knee, stomach condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain did not result in limitation of flexion and/or abduction to midway between the side and the shoulder or to 45 degrees, so his claim for a higher evaluation was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to the current condition. The Board also found that arthritis did not manifest within one year following service discharge and that the Veteran had not reported any left shoulder symptoms until after he left service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's left shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left shoulder, right knee, and back disabilities due to inadequate rationale in previous VA opinions. The Veteran is entitled to a new examination and opinion for each issue.

The Veteran's initial claim of a higher rating for his service-connected disfiguring scar on the left ear lobe was granted with an initial 30 percent rating from October 8, 2021. The right shoulder and left forearm scars were denied as not compensable.,Prior to October 8, 2021, the Veteran's disfiguring scar on the left ear lobe warranted a 30 percent rating based on two characteristics of disfigurement. From October 8, 2021, his scar warrants a 50 percent rating as it no longer meets the criteria for a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial disability ratings for his left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 20 percent for the left shoulder disability or higher than 10 percent for either of the right and left knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for moles, gastritis, left elbow disability, left shoulder disability, right hamstring disability, left hamstring disability, and right leg disability due to new evidence and incomplete consideration of all periods of service.

The Board's March 2021 decision was vacated due to the Veteran being misled about the completeness of her August 2019 hearing transcript, resulting in her withdrawal of a scheduled virtual hearing. The issues on appeal are now subject to review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a right shoulder disability and a neurological condition of the right arm as secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Veteran's increased rating for left shoulder limitation of motion and initial compensable rating for TBI residuals are both denied by the Board. The evidence does not support higher ratings based on the current criteria.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle, knee, and shoulder disorders due to incomplete development of his medical records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for a left shoulder disability are remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding the severity of the service-connected condition prior to April 6, 2011.