Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations. The Board is unable to make a decision on these matters without further evidence.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims for the Veteran due to duty-to-assist errors and other procedural issues.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, bilateral pes cavus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all rated at the maximum allowable under their respective diagnostic codes. The Board denied his claims for increased ratings as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection and higher ratings, finding that an earlier effective date is not warranted based on the September 1, 2022 intent to file form received by VA.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left shoulder disability. The decision finds that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including shoulder, wrist, and knee conditions. The effective dates for granting service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and potential new evidence. The claims include left shoulder condition, back condition, bilateral ankle strain, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriasis has been granted. The claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is also remanded as it may be related to an undiagnosed illness or toxic exposure in service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her back, left shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities have been denied. The current ratings of 20 percent are maintained.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, vision loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been denied. The Board found no new evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluded that there is no current disability for VA compensation purposes. For other conditions, the evidence did not establish a link between service and the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased evaluations and earlier effective dates for various conditions, including other specified anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder, chronic right shoulder (dominant), intercostal strain, mid thoracic muscular strain, muscle injury (left muscles of respiration), muscle injury (muscles of left side and back of the neck), and muscle injury (thoracic spinal muscles).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder, finding that there is no evidence linking this condition to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his right shoulder condition and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA documents.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions including TBI, shoulder disability, arm disability, low back disability, and psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence or conflicting medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder. However, the issue of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is remanded due to incomplete records.

Your right shoulder condition was previously granted service connection, so the current appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development and evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection of right and left shoulder disabilities, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. The decision is based on the need for clarification regarding the onset and cause of the claimed conditions.

The reduction in disability rating for persistent depressive disorder from 50% to 30% is not supported by the weight of evidence and a 50% disability rating is restored.,An effective date earlier than June 27, 2017, for the grant of service connection for persistent depressive disorder is denied.,Service connection for a low back disorder is granted.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a low back disorder is granted.,Initial rating in excess of 50% for persistent depressive disorder prior to April 3, 2023, and in excess of 70% thereafter is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for hypertension is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for migraines is remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional VA examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral shoulder and ankle disabilities, as the prior VA examinations did not provide all required information.