Shoulder decisions — 2022

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his in-service injury and any present condition.

The Veteran's PTSD with depression, alcohol dependence, and cocaine dependence is rated at 100 percent effective November 26, 2019.,A disability rating of 100 percent for PTSD prior to November 26, 2019, is granted.,The Veteran's subacromial bursitis of the right shoulder and degenerative joint disease of the first metatarsal with left foot strain are not rated higher than their current levels.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence and outstanding records. The issues of service connection, special monthly compensation (SMC), and education benefits are being deferred until the service connection issues are resolved.

The Board denied service connection for various knee, shoulder, wrist, and hand disorders, finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obesity, left shoulder disability, lumbar disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The cervical neck disorder and TBI residuals are also addressed as new issues to be resolved.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, neck condition, right shoulder condition, and back condition due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete examinations and failure to address critical evaluation criteria.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder, right elbow, and respiratory conditions. The VA is instructed to obtain addendum medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted as service-connected, while the right hip disability remains pending and remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition and a right wrist condition, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are at least as likely as not related to his in-service fall.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to appear for scheduled VA examinations. The Board also notes that several pieces of correspondence from VA were returned as undeliverable, indicating a need to verify the Veteran's current mailing address.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities. The hypertension issue remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations were inadequate and requires additional development to properly address the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability and bilateral shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected right shoulder arthritis is being remanded due to the possibility of a worsening of the condition since the last examination. A new VA examination will be scheduled to assess the current severity of the disability.

The Board has found that an additional VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left shoulder disabilities. The appeal for service connection for a left arm condition, including bicipital tendon tear, is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened, and the appeal is granted. The claims for service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to February 3, 2020 was denied as he has not provided the necessary information and there is no indication in the record that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities. The claim for a TDIU since February 3, 2020, was dismissed as moot because he had a combined schedular rating of 100%.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and medical opinions are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including hypertension, hand, shoulder, ankle, TBI, psoriasis, and sleep disorder. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or etiology related to his military service.,There is insufficient evidence to establish GERD as a current condition. The Veteran has reported symptoms but no formal diagnosis was found during the appeal period.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal conditions are remanded for further examination and opinion, given potential in-service exposure.