Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete development and need for further medical opinions. The right shoulder disability case is linked to in-service burn pit exposures, while the respiratory condition claim requires more information on risk factors.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left shoulder condition is remanded for further development, including obtaining relevant treatment records and an addendum opinion to address whether any current left shoulder disability clearly and unmistakably preexisted service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to new evidence received.,No effective date is assigned as the Veteran's claim was granted on February 6, 2019.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left foot condition, right foot condition, left-hand condition, and right-hand condition due to a lack of in-service records. Additional attempts should be made to obtain any missing service treatment records and efforts should be made to obtain earlier private medical records.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are remanded due to the unavailability of his service department records and the need to attempt to corroborate the stressful events claimed by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work experience.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of residuals of an insect bite, gastrointestinal disability characterized by abdominal pains, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, respiratory disability, right ankle disability, bilateral foot disability, and increased rating for chondromalacia with degenerative arthritis of the right knee have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a low back disability and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, right elbow, bilateral knee, and bilateral ankle disabilities due to incomplete evidentiary development.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary for further development in both the left shoulder and left ankle disability claims due to inadequate examinations.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for residuals of cataracts surgery, a neck condition, right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, and arthritis of the right and left hip have been granted. The claims are being remanded for further development.

Your appeals for service connection for bilateral knee, bilateral shoulder, bilateral ankle, and left shin disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the case to the Director of Compensation Service for extra-schedular consideration due to a disagreement with the July 2021 decision denying an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted. The remaining issues of service connection for esophageal condition, left shoulder disability, and low back disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for neck and left shoulder disabilities, as well as his claim for a higher rating for his right shoulder disability. The remand requires additional medical opinions to address whether these conditions were aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disability and if so, how much they have been aggravated.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to a pre-decisional error in VA's duty to assist. The Board needs clarification on the extent of functional impairment caused by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining his private medical records and scheduling examinations. The Veteran is requested to provide these records, and he will be notified of any scheduled examinations.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20% prior to March 26, 2019 and at 30% thereafter. The rating for right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, and posttraumatic arthritis of the left wrist are all denied. Bilateral tinea pedis and bilateral hearing loss do not warrant compensable ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his active service.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from April 20, 2009 to February 10, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. However, the TDIU from February 11, 2015 is denied as he is already in receipt of a combined schedular rating of 100 percent.