Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss and a right shoulder disability due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is presumed to have current disabilities, but his service connection claims are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right shoulder disability and peripheral axillary nerve injury.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination, and a new one must be conducted to determine if the Veteran's left shoulder condition is related to his service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were dismissed due to his death.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for instability of the right shoulder, finding that there is no evidence of instability in the medical records and ruling out any such condition based on the November 2019 VA examiner's opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The issues include PTSD, left shoulder disorder, left knee disorder, back disorder, and cervical spine disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further evidentiary development due to a limitation of the state of general medical knowledge in the field, specifically regarding an addendum opinion from the July 2021 clinician.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examinations and further development regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his left shoulder disability and bilateral ankle disabilities. The Veteran is seeking a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate rationale in a previous VA medical opinion, and the claim is now pending for further consideration.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left elbow strain and right shoulder strain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the range of motion and functional loss.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine, but has remanded the issues regarding left and right shoulder conditions due to insufficient rationale in the medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and left wrist condition due to missing service treatment records and inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate for adjudicating this case and has ordered additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and determining if combat conditions apply. The Veteran's lay statements will be considered in assessing her claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left sciatica, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and a left shoulder disability due to incomplete medical records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating prior to March 19, 2019 for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 20 percent beginning March 19, 2019 for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD is denied.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for residuals, shrapnel wound, left shoulder region and upper arm area, right hip/thigh area, and right leg/ankle area are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for right ulnar nerve peripheral neuropathy is remanded.

The Veteran is granted a rating of 20 percent for his left shoulder strain prior to May 23, 2016. The appeal for a higher rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives regarding a retrospective medical opinion for the Veteran's right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim from August 2, 2018 is granted. The VA has not completed the necessary development for his increased rating claims and remanded issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable disability rating for various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and the retrieval of private treatment records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been withdrawn for several conditions, including hearing loss, left knee condition, right knee condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left foot condition, and right foot condition. The claims for varicose veins, lower back condition, left ankle sprain, and right ankle sprain are granted.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a lower back condition is being remanded due to the need for further development.