Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his right shoulder, right hand, left hand, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities due to inadequate examinations in previous VA evaluations.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board found that it does not warrant a higher rating due to limited range of motion and pain.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate prior VA examinations and opinions. The Veteran is seeking service connection for right shoulder degenerative joint disease and bilateral pes planus with plantar fibroma, both of which he contends are related to his active-duty service or a service-connected lumbar DDD.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeals for cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder strain, and allergic rhinitis are remanded due to insufficient opinions in previous examinations. The VA is required to obtain new examination reports and opinions addressing all theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's PTSD is denied a rating in excess of 50 percent. Ratings for left and right knee conditions are granted, but not in excess of the current assigned ratings. Service connection is established for headaches, residuals from carpal tunnel release on the right wrist, and right wrist scar.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tear with glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, claimed as a left arm condition, and for left olecranon spur, claimed as a left elbow condition. The VA is required to obtain the Veteran's STRs and SPRs from his Tennessee Army National Guard service.

The Board has decided the initial rating for PFB and right shoulder bursitis, denying them. The appeals for left finger disorder and back disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for increased ratings need to be corrected, and new examinations are required due to the passage of time since previous evaluations.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for further verification of the Veteran's deployments. The claim will be reconsidered after obtaining additional information.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate VA examinations, and new examinations are needed to determine the severity of the Veteran's cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities throughout the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied as there was no current diagnosis or established link to service.,Right knee osteoarthritis and left knee osteoarthritis were also denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Board has decided to remand the service connection claims for left knee, right knee, carpal tunnel of upper extremities, cervical spine, second toe of right foot, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities. The decision is based on the need for additional private treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations that comply with Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and a neck disability, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.,There is current evidence of a right shoulder condition (rotator cuff tendonitis) and a neck disability, but the Board determined that neither condition is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine (back) disability and left shoulder disability, finding that these conditions were caused by his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to address his right shoulder disability, acquired psychiatric condition, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the Regional Office not having issued a Statement of the Case for all issues on appeal. The Board is unable to proceed without this information.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further action, including obtaining VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her arthritis. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is not related to service or her service-connected residuals of a midline episiotomy, and therefore denied both direct and secondary service connection.