Shoulder decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability due to incomplete medical opinions and failure to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service onset and continuity of symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis and rotator cuff tear, right shoulder degenerative arthritis, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and left carpal tunnel syndrome. These conditions are found to be caused by the Veteran's service-connected right little finger disability.,The decision also includes a remand for further evaluation of the Veteran's claimed left hand pain.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of various disabilities, including right and left ankle degenerative joint disease, elbow degenerative joint disease, shoulder degenerative joint disease, lower extremity radiculopathy, lumbar spine degenerative joint disease, cervical spine degenerative changes, upper extremity radiculopathy, and bilateral calcaneal spurs. The effective dates for these disabilities were set at February 6, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable at any time during the appeal period. The Board denied his claim for TDIU as he has maintained substantially gainful employment despite his PTSD.

The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder, left shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions began during or were aggravated by active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for acne, neck condition, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection. The case is being returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings are remanded due to inadequate VA examinations and the need for new evaluations of his right shoulder, cervical spine, and radiculopathy conditions.

The Veteran's left shoulder condition is granted as secondary to his service-connected lower back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, lumbar spine, right knee, and left knee disorders due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives and outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tear and impingement syndrome, lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right knee meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears with degenerative arthritis.,The Board has also granted service connection for these conditions on a causation basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his hearing loss disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence addressing direct, secondary, or aggravation service connection. The Veteran is also requested to undergo a VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, temporary total evaluation, and TDIU related to his left shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for further examination and development.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including migraine headaches, left and right shoulder strains, anxiety disorder, tinnitus, and hearing loss, are of sufficient severity to produce unemployability as defined by regulation. The Board has granted total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for a lower back disorder and remanded the issue of service connection for a right shoulder disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions. The issues include service connection for inguinal hernia, right shoulder disorder, eye disorder, heart disorder, GERD, and low back disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on the listed conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disorder, finding that his current condition was not incurred in or related to his military service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was granted a rating of 30 percent effective February 28, 2023. The Board found that the Veteran is entitled to this rating prior to February 28, 2023.

The Veteran's pes planus is not service-connected, as the VA examiners concluded that it was less likely caused by his military service or secondary to his left knee condition.,The Board found in favor of the Veteran on his claim for a back disability, concluding that it is at least equally likely that his back issues are related to his service-connected left hip and left knee conditions.,For his right shoulder disability, the Board determined that there was at least equipoise evidence supporting the Veteran's contention that his fall down stairs caused his injury. The VA examiner concluded that the condition was not secondary to his left knee condition.

The Veteran's PTSD, right shoulder injury, tender scars, asthma, and sleep apnea disabilities were denied increased ratings. The Veteran was not working due to his service-connected conditions but returned to work.