Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found no evidence of a direct relationship between the current sleep apnea, cervical strain, right shoulder strain, and lateral collateral ligament sprain, right ankle disabilities and active service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his obstructive sleep apnea and right shoulder disability were not productive of chronic respiratory failure or cor pulmonale, nor did they require a tracheostomy. The effective date for the initial rating of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea is October 4, 2011.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability was denied in a final decision and reopened with new evidence filed on August 22, 2013. An initial 20 percent rating has been assigned since then.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bone and endocrine disorders, right and left dry eye syndrome, cervical spine DDD, foot osteoarthritis, lumbar spine arthritis, and right shoulder radiculopathy, have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease or injury during service that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to ensure post-service treatment records are associated with the claims file, as well as to obtain new examinations for his neck/cervical spine, right shoulder, left leg sciatica, right leg sciatica, and bilateral foot disabilities. The PACT Act does not require a TERA examination in this case.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, requiring a new medical examination to determine if the Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome is related to his in-service injury.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hernia, right foot disability, left foot disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and right knee disability. The issues of service connection for left knee disability have been remanded.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, osteoarthritis of the left hip (limitation of extension), and hypertension have been rated based on their current functional limitations. The psychiatric disorder has been rated as a separate condition.,Further evaluation is needed to determine if there are any additional factors that may warrant higher ratings for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities as new relevant evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection awards of fracture of right arm and humerus s/p shoulder surgery (dominant) associated with hypertension and residual scar, s/p right shoulder surgery associated with fracture or right arm and humerus s/p shoulder surgery (dominant), as there was no basis to grant such claims.

The Veteran's sleep condition is not supported by current medical evidence.,There is no evidence of a left wrist or right wrist condition during service, and the conditions are not related to service.,There is no evidence of a right shoulder condition during service, and it is not related to service.,Parkinson's Disease with dystonia is not supported by current medical evidence.,Headaches are not supported by current medical evidence.,The Veteran has bilateral hip arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the left glenohumeral joint, which may be related to service. However, there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of right shoulder, cervical spine, and thoracic spine disabilities due to a finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in the January 1992 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder AC joint osteoarthritis, left knee strain, and right knee strain. The Veteran's in-service injuries are found to be related to his current disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his cervical spine and right shoulder disability are dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his right shoulder acromioclavicular degenerative joint disease is also dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and left wrist disorders due to lack of new and relevant evidence, as all submitted evidence was previously part of the record.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for a thoracolumbar spine disorder is dismissed. The appeals for increased ratings for right shoulder, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve (right), and left lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve are denied. A 10% rating is granted for an appendectomy scar.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs further examination to determine if the appellant's current left shoulder disorder is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and sustain substantially gainful employment, as he has reported working as an independent insurance agent.

Your appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed because you withdrew your claims at the July 30, 2024 hearing.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed the appeal concerning three issues of service connection for cervical spine condition, pain and numbness in the bilateral shoulders, and lumbar spine condition due to the appellant's withdrawal.