Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and pulmonary vascular disease have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.,Service connection has been granted for bilateral hearing loss, with the Board finding that it is etiologically related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for various service-connected conditions have been remanded by the Board due to additional development needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right elbow condition, a right shoulder condition, and a respiratory condition due to inadequate addendum VA medical opinions in July 2021. The Veteran is required to provide additional records and undergo further examination.

The Board has remanded several issues, including service connection for a stomach disability, a headache disability, and an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran's right shoulder, left knee, and lumbar spine disabilities are still under review.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. His bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right shoulder osteoarthritis with strain, and back disability are all found to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted service connection based on aggravation. The lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities are granted increased ratings from November 22, 2011 to December 13, 2021.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a right foot condition and left shoulder condition have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for headaches, secondary to his service-connected neck condition, and for a sleep disorder, secondary to his service-connected GERD, are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied a rating higher than 20 percent for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, finding that his symptoms do not warrant an increased rating. The matter of a separate rating for the resection of the distal clavicle was also addressed but no additional rating could be granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, pes planus, right shoulder and arm disability, and back disability are all being reviewed to determine if they are related to his service.

The Veteran's left knee, left shoulder, and fibromyalgia disabilities are granted as service connected. The remaining issues of service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and back condition due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service.,The Veteran was treated for right shoulder pain during service but no current disability has been established. The VA examiner concluded that any current right shoulder condition is not related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied in 1991, but new evidence has now been submitted to reopen the claim.,Service connection is granted for a posterior cruciate ligament injury of the right knee.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for a dental condition and remanded his claims for hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus, low back condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, and right shoulder condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral foot condition and left shoulder condition due to inadequacies in previous opinions and need for additional development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder pain, neck pain, and lumbar strain with mild DJD. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and medical records to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities, including left shoulder strain, mild C5-C6 spondylosis, modern bilateral neural foraminal stenosis, L5-S1 herniated disc, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot plantar fasciitis. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for compensable evaluation of injury to the left ring finger, initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for chronic post-traumatic headaches, migrainous phenotype, an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a TBI, and an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for a left shoulder rotator cuff tear have all been dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing or following substantially gainful employment throughout the entire period on appeal, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including degenerative joint disease, rotator cuff tear, and bicipital tendinitis, is rated at 40 percent from May 25, 2021. The appeal for a higher rating remains denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip and shoulder disabilities due to insufficient evidence regarding whether these conditions are related to his military service or a pre-existing condition. The AOJ is instructed to obtain VA examination reports addressing these issues.