Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the issue regarding a rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder bursitis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disorder, bilateral eye disability, psycho-organic disorder, and hypertension. The issues of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bradycardia are being remanded due to potential incomplete VA treatment records.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, kidney disorder, bilateral eye disability, psycho-organic disorder, and hypertension have been denied. The issues of service connection for GERD and bradycardia are being remanded as there may be outstanding relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, and respiratory disability (other than OSA) are being remanded for further development.,Specifically, the Board finds that additional information is needed to properly evaluate these claims.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a left shoulder disability, diagnosed as arthritis, is granted. The prostate disability claim is denied. The skin disability of the left hand claim is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to new evidence added since the last decision. The Veteran will need a VA examination for his bilateral plantar fasciitis and an addendum opinion regarding his right ankle condition.

The appeal for service connection for residuals of a broken right hand is dismissed as the Veteran received full benefits.,The appeal for service connection for erectile dysfunction as a residual of mumps is dismissed as the Veteran received full benefits.,The appeal for service connection for status post repair fracture of the right acromioclavicular joint (claimed as a right shoulder condition) is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the nerve condition is also rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on his spouse needing regular aid and attendance due to her disabilities, as she does not meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and affording the Veteran a current examination.

The Board has remanded the claims due to insufficient development of records, particularly those from before October 2009. The Veteran's service personnel records and VA treatment records for that period need to be obtained.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and are not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease. Therefore, service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral leg disability, bilateral foot disability, sinus disability (to include sinus headaches), and hypertension has been denied.

The Board has remanded multiple claims for further development due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for new examinations. The Veteran's skin, heart, right shoulder, back, arthritis (claimed as multi-joint pain), bronchial condition, throat cancer, kidney cancer, spleen condition, tongue condition (to include a tumor), sinusitis, pancreatitis, and brain trauma claims are all remanded.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing his claims based on post-service falls related to his service-connected left ankle and knee disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, right knee, right hip, left hip, and right testicle disorders due to a lack of evidence showing their onset within one year of discharge or causation during service.,The Veteran's failure to report for scheduled VA examinations prevented the Board from obtaining expert medical opinions on the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, low back disorder, right ankle degenerative arthritis, right shoulder degenerative arthritis (status post reverse total shoulder arthroplasty), left shoulder degenerative arthritis, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis. The rating assigned is 60 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, finding that the current disability is not related to military service and was more likely due to natural aging and physical activity post-service.

The Board has determined that there are errors in the duty to assist and remands the claims for further development. The Veteran's hearing loss, right arm disability (loss of range of motion), burn scars on various parts of his body, and service connection issues have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to errors in the duty to assist and insufficient evidence for adjudication.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for his shoulder disabilities and cervical spine disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring an examination and opinion that specifically addresses the January 1982 STR.