Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examination for an increased evaluation for subacromial bursitis, right shoulder with impingement. The Veteran is advised that failure to report for the scheduled examination may result in a denial.

The Board has found that remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and new orthopedic examinations for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral shoulder and wrist disabilities due to incomplete range of motion assessments in previous examinations.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeal due to his withdrawal of the appeal in writing, stating that once these disabilities have been withdrawn, there should be no disabilities under the appeal process.

The Veteran's claim for multiple myeloma was denied as the condition is asymptomatic.,Claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and cervical spine disorder based on CUE were also denied.

The Board has granted the request to readjudicate the claim for a right shoulder disability and has remanded it due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection. The Veteran needs further verification of her periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, or INACDUTRA, as well as a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability and right shoulder disability, finding that the conditions had their onset during service.

The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities were dismissed due to procedural defects in the submission of appeal forms.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders are granted service connection.,Service connection is also granted for the Veteran's cervical spine strain. However, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, and neck disorder. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure leading to presumed service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the service-connected right shoulder disability beginning April 1, 2020. However, it denied an extension of a temporary total rating beyond March 31, 2020 due to lack of severe postoperative residuals necessitating additional convalescence.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including left shoulder disability, right wrist disability, right broken arm, left knee condition, right knee condition, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left ankle and / or left leg condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder and left hand disabilities due to incomplete follow-up of prior medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to resolve inconsistencies between previous opinions and address secondary service connection on both causation and aggravation bases.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a neck disorder and right shoulder disorder due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's assertions regarding continuity of symptomatology following service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made it impossible for him to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was restored to 70% effective August 26, 2017. The appeal for increased evaluations of other conditions and service connection claims were dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition was granted in February 2023, resulting in the dismissal of this issue. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a right ankle condition due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as of August 10, 2022 due to the assignment of a combined disability rating of 100 percent. Prior to that date, the Veteran did not meet the schedular threshold for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ankle condition is granted as service-connected.

The Veteran incurred a left shoulder disability while participating in the VA Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program. The Board found that this additional disability was caused by his participation in the CWT program and granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the left shoulder disability.