Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to issues with the July 2015 VA examination and missing DoD records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder disorder and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity are being remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with previous Board remand directives. Another remand is required to obtain a retrospective opinion on the severity of the disabilities during flare-ups, as well as the date of onset of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's right hip strain appeal is dismissed.,Service connection granted for bilateral shoulder strain, lumbar spine arthritis and disc disease, cervical disc disease, and bilateral knee strain. Service connection was not established for gastroenteritis and diarrhea due to lack of evidence.,Gastroenteritis and diarrhea were found insufficient to establish a chronic condition during service or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right shoulder tendonitis prior to November 7, 2019, and from November 7, 2019, to May 17, 2020, was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability manifested in functional limitation equivalent to midway between the side and shoulder level or worse.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as secondary to service-connected disabilities, and remanded the issues of service connection for Meniere's syndrome and Left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's right shoulder scar was previously rated as noncompensable, and the Board is remanding the case to correct a duty to assist error by obtaining relevant medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a back disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is also denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions began during or are otherwise related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a back disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is also denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions began during or are otherwise related to active service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the claim of entitlement to service connection for hiatal hernia. The issues of entitlement to service connection for dizziness and right shoulder pain are remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decision.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder injury residuals and granted this issue. The back disability is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and panic disorder have been granted initial ratings of 30%, 30%, and 50% respectively. The Veteran's service-connected right carpal tunnel syndrome and left carpal tunnel syndrome have not resulted in a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral knee and shoulder conditions, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's GERD symptoms are not productive of considerable impairment of health, and a higher rating is denied.,Prior to August 19, 2016, there was no formal claim for an increased rating for back disability or left shoulder disability. The increase in severity of the disabilities was not factually ascertainable in the one year prior to August 19, 2016.,The Veteran's left shoulder and bilateral knee disabilities have worsened since his last examination in 2016, and current examinations are needed before adjudicating these increased rating claims.,Lumbar spine disability: The matter is remanded for further evaluation.,Left shoulder disability: The matter is denied as the Veteran's claim was not received within one year of a prior decision.,Left knee instability: The matter is remanded for further evaluation.,Left knee degenerative arthritis manifested by limitation of extension: The matter is remanded for further evaluation.,Right knee degenerative arthritis: The matter is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder, left shoulder, right hand, left hand, right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle joints.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left shoulder condition has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for further development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The remaining issues are related to right wrist, shoulder, and low back conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability as secondary to his left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence showing the right shoulder disability began during service or was related to an in-service injury.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for the assignment of a 100 percent rating for PTSD and a 20 percent rating for a right shoulder shell fragment wound, both effective as of July 30, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's right shoulder disability is proximately caused or aggravated by his service-connected knee disabilities, specifically falls resulting from knee giving way.