Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and left shoulder disability are remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder condition and bilateral hip condition have been reopened. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received, but the claims are still pending as they were not granted in the initial decision. The claims are being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further medical opinions regarding service connection for cervical spine disability, left shoulder condition, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are not granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including back condition, neck condition, shoulder conditions, PTSD, arm conditions, and leg conditions. The Veteran is advised that a statement of the case must be provided before these matters can be returned to the Board.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating higher than 20 percent for his right foot condition is dismissed. The request to reopen the claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability is granted, and the issues of service connection for left shoulder, cervical spine, bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (acquired psychiatric disability), and right knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran's bilateral knee condition, bilateral shoulder condition, and lumbar sprain for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service connection for a left shoulder disability and a higher initial rating for TBI residuals (claimed as post-concussive syndrome) and comingled psychiatric symptoms are granted. The Veteran's right knee, left knee, and low back disabilities remain on appeal with remanded issues.

The Veteran's service-connected mental disabilities, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for the Veteran's bilateral hips, hands, head injury, left elbow, and shoulders due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with scheduling an examination for the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder, which is currently incarcerated. The examiner will need to determine if the condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and need for additional evidence. The Veteran's foot disorders, hypertension, sleep apnea, and left shoulder scar are all under review.

The Board has determined that there is no current left knee disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. The right knee, left shoulder, right shoulder, cervical spine, and lumbar spine issues are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition. The reduction in disability rating from 30% to 20% for recurrent dislocation of the right shoulder with osteoarthritis was found to be improper and restored the original 30% rating. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was granted a 30 percent rating from September 22, 2010, to May 1, 2019. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating beyond this period.

The Board has dismissed all the issues related to service connection for various conditions, as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of his left shoulder disability, service connection for PTSD, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for left knee meniscal tear was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.,Separate ratings of 10 percent were granted for left knee flexion and instability, with no higher ratings being warranted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims due to inadequate statements of reasons or bases in previous decisions.

The Veteran's lumbar strain is now rated at 40 percent, effective from September 17, 2021. The other conditions remain unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 20 percent for left knee patellofemoral syndrome with arthritis of the left knee and his claim for service connection for pruritis have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin rash of the scrotum has been reopened, but not granted. The evidence received since the November 2006 rating decision relates to an unestablished fact necessary to establish the claim (a diagnosis of a skin rash and reports of treatment for the same in service and since that time).,The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during his active service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, psychiatric disorder (alcohol use disorder/unspecified depressive disorder), right shoulder disability, left elbow disability, right wrist disability, left ankle disability, allergies/rhinitis, persistent diarrhea, and migraine headaches are all remanded for further development as specified in the decision.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is remanded for further development.