Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent right and left shoulder disabilities, as there is no evidence that these conditions originated during active service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee PFPS and service connection for a right shoulder disability were both denied. The denial was based on the lack of evidence supporting these claims.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for an updated opinion on the combined functional impact of his service-connected disabilities prior to October 2, 2019. Additionally, updated SSA records are needed.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and DM are granted as service-connected, with the right shoulder condition attributed to an inservice injury and DM presumed due to herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability. The claims are being returned to VA for additional evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the service connection for right shoulder condition. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again with a new examination and medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the complete service records have not been obtained and a remand is necessary to obtain them. Additionally, a VA examination with an opinion is needed to determine the nature, etiology, and severity of the Veteran's claimed lumbar spine, right foot, thoracic spine, and shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's post-operative fracture, right great toe with degenerative changes is granted a 10% disability evaluation. The Veteran's degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine are granted a 20% disability evaluation.

The Veteran's right shoulder humerus fracture with pain and limited motion has been rated at 20 percent since August 31, 2015. The Board found that the current severity of his condition does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right knee, neck, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of medical evidence supporting his assertions that these conditions were caused by in-service events.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to refer the claim for TDIU prior to September 2, 2018. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities may have had occupational impacts and he contends that he is unemployable due in part to his right shoulder disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle condition and denied service connection for exposure to contaminated water in Camp Lejeune. The claims for other conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for increased ratings of bilateral pes planus, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability are remanded due to the need for new examinations. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, right-hand disability, left-hand disability, and left eye disability have been dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension (HTN), a right shoulder disability, a left shoulder disability, and a right eye disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, finding that there is no current diagnosis of such a condition and that it is less likely than not related to his military service.

The Veteran's exploratory laparoscopy with appendectomy, hemorrhoids, deep non-linear scarring residuals of abdominal surgery, and superficial non-linear scarring residuals of abdominal surgery have been granted initial compensable disability ratings. Service connection for a right shoulder disorder has also been granted.

The Veteran's diabetes is granted due to herbicide exposure. The claims for service connection of left ankle, peripheral neuropathy (upper and lower extremities), back disability, right shoulder, left shoulder, right ankle, right knee, and left knee disabilities are all granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for residuals of right shoulder stabilization and right AC joint arthritis, as well as residuals of left shoulder stabilization and arthritis of the AC joint, from July 14, 2012 have been denied.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities of the cervical spine, left and right shoulders, and knees as secondary to his service-connected foot and ankle disabilities due to lack of a causal relationship.