Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability and entitlement to a temporary total evaluation due to treatment for a right shoulder disability, as these issues are intertwined.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 3, 2012 for the grant of Total Disability Rating Due to Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The appeal is remanded to determine if earlier effective dates are warranted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his left foot disability prior to November 3, 2017 is dismissed. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for a head injury/TBI, increased ratings for migraine headaches and PTSD/ADHD, and a petition to reopen left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 100% rating from November 16, 2016 to the present. Service connection for cervical spine disorder and undiagnosed illness or MUCMI manifested by joint pain are denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further evaluation due to worsening of his shoulder and knee disabilities, as well as thoracolumbar strain. The Veteran will need to undergo new VA examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left elbow pain, low back pain, left knee pain, and right knee pain. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.,Service connection was not granted as there is no persuasive medical evidence linking any of these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that his pre-existing condition was not aggravated by service and is not otherwise causally related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to errors in previous decisions, including failure to adequately address functional ankylosis and neurologic impairment.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to withdrawal of claims for right shoulder disorder and tinnitus, and the Board found new and material evidence in favor of reopening her claims for acquired psychiatric disorder, fibromyalgia, and left shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to new evidence received since the last final rating decision. The issues of service connection for GERD, right shoulder disability, depressive disorder, low back disability, allergic rhinitis, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and foot disabilities are being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to his withdrawal. The Board has also remanded several other claims for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's request for a higher rating for left shoulder arthritis was denied as the evidence did not show motion limited to 25 degrees from the side.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 70% for depressive disorder with insomnia prior to December 15, 2022, was also denied. The Board found that his symptoms were compensated by a 70% rating and did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Special monthly compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) for need of aid and attendance was granted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities requiring the aid and attendance of another person.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including concussion, headaches, nose bleeds, hip pain, leg cramps and numbness, and shoulder condition, are remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and a failure to obtain correctional facility medical records.

The Veteran's asthma is granted service connection based on presumptive exposure to burn pits. The gastrointestinal issues, left shoulder condition, left elbow condition, right elbow condition, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, right knee condition, and ankle conditions are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is granted as service connected. The right shoulder condition with pain and motion is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher evaluation.,PTSD has been assigned an initial evaluation of 70 percent, which is not in excess of what is warranted. The Veteran's PTSD symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder DJD, but the appeal is dismissed as it was already fully addressed in a previous decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea is granted. The claims for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, a right shoulder disorder, a left shoulder disorder, a right knee disorder, and a left knee disorder are denied. The claim for service connection for a skin disorder (dyshidrotic eczema) is remanded. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also remanded.