Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development. The left ankle impairment claim is granted with a rating of 20 percent effective July 25, 2019. Service connection for back, left shoulder, and somatic disorders are also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 14, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to failure to submit the Veteran's claim for extraschedular consideration to VA's Director of Compensation Service as directed by the Board.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right knee, neck, left shoulder, and right shoulder conditions. The issues are related to whether these conditions had their onset in or are otherwise etiologically related to active service.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral elbow, shoulder, hip, wrist, carpal tunnel syndrome, and cervical spine disabilities, as the evidence did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of February 9, 2009. The Board found that the Veteran was unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities prior to February 29, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The appeals are now pending and will be reviewed again with new evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome and lumbar disc degeneration due to inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran must be provided with new VA opinions that consider his lay reports of continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back, knee, ankle, shoulder, and hand conditions. The reasons include a lack of examination addressing the impact of cold weather conditions during service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20% and the Board has found that a higher rating is not warranted. The TDIU claim has been granted, but further examination may be needed to determine if additional benefits are due.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at a 30 percent effective from March 13, 2019. The claim for an earlier effective date was denied as the application to reopen the service connection claim was received on November 11, 2018.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder disability, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left and right shoulder conditions, as well as his claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for unstable ligaments post-left knee arthroscopy. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder strain as secondary to pes planus and left ankle impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral pes planus, left elbow condition (non-dominant), left hand condition, neck condition, and left shoulder strain due to insufficient evidence of service connection. The Veteran's conditions are related to his military service, but further examination is needed to establish a nexus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The Board found that his combined rating is insufficient to qualify him for TDIU, and there was no evidence of exceptional circumstances warranting an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for granuloma annulare and notalgia paresthetica, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left hip condition, hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, bilateral bunionectomy, bilateral flat foot, and bilateral eye condition are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, left hip condition (secondary to right knee), hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, bilateral bunionectomy, and bilateral flat foot are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for left hip condition is remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for hammer toes of the right foot, hammer toes of the left foot, and bilateral bunionectomy are remanded due to the need for further development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral eye condition is remanded due to the need for further development.

Service connection is granted for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus.,Service connection is denied for unspecified depressive disorder, right ankle degenerative arthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis, right knee osteoarthritis status post total replacement, left knee osteoarthritis status post meniscal tear repair, right hip degenerative arthritis, left hip degenerative arthritis and femoral acetabular impingement syndrome, right wrist degenerative arthritis, left wrist degenerative arthritis, right shoulder acromioclavicular osteoarthritis and rotator cuff tear status post total replacement, left shoulder acromioclavicular osteoarthritis, right lateral epicondylitis, left lateral epicondylitis, neck pain, lumbar spine DJD, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbosacral strain, and radiculopathy.,Service connection is denied for coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder disability and residual shrapnel scars were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's right shoulder arthritis is granted service connection. Service connection for prostate cancer, hypertension, and esophageal cancer (claimed as esophagus - cancer/surgery) is denied due to lack of in-service disease or injury and no continuity of symptoms since service. Hyperlipidemia is not a compensable disability.