Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since May 31, 2009.,The earliest date the criteria for Dependents' Educational Assistance eligibility was met was on May 31, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability. The issue of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence, and a VA examination is needed.

The Board has determined that additional disability caused by the August 2010 and August 2011 right shoulder surgeries performed by VAMC is at issue, and an addendum opinion is needed to determine if carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or event not reasonably foreseeable was the proximate cause.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his active duty service.,Service connection was also granted for secondary upper extremity radiculopathy and muscle spasms as a result of the service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board dismissed the appeals of service connection for right shoulder joint pain with impingement and left ear hearing loss due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, wrist, and hand disabilities due to insufficient examination reports.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on a secondary basis have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding her claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff tendonitis, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for scar on right achilles. The decision found that there was no nexus between these conditions and military service.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 24, 2013 for the award of TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The decision also addresses whether earlier effective dates should have been granted.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted service connection. The left shoulder disability is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical strain with degenerative arthritis (neck disability) and left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis and degenerative arthritis (left shoulder disability), finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's periods of federalized National Guard service.

The Board has denied service connection for radiculopathy in both upper extremities and torn rotator cuff with residuals and surgery on the left shoulder due to a lack of competent and probative evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for esophageal disability, salivary gland disability, neck disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, leg cramps, and psychiatric disability. The issues are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's sickle cell trait is not service-connected as it is a congenital defect without additional superimposed disease or injury.,There is no evidence of residuals of a traumatic brain injury related to service, and the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of such condition.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a cervical spine disability. The STRs are silent for any injuries sustained as a result of a hatch falling on his head or any diagnoses related to a TBI or cervical spine disability.,There is no evidence of a left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, or right knee disability during service or post-service. The Veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions.,The Veteran's STRs and post-service treatment records are silent for complaints or diagnoses related to bilateral shoulder pain or strain, bilateral elbow pain or strain, or right knee pain or strain.,There is no evidence of a right knee disability during service or post-service. The Veteran does not have current diagnosis of this condition.

The appeal for an increased rating for plantar fasciitis is dismissed.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability and lumbar spine disability are granted. Service connection for a right shoulder disability is denied. The issues of service connection for right hip disability and left hip disability are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to his obesity, which was caused by his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, left knee degenerative joint disease, and right knee degenerative joint disease. As such, service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to these conditions has been granted.

The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for service connection grants, but the Board finds no legal basis to grant these claims.,The Veteran's anxiety disorder claim was reopened and granted in June 2014 with an effective date of September 17, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee and left knee conditions, hearing loss, tinnitus, and back issues, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment from September 25, 2017, to January 14, 2020. The Board granted the Veteran's claim for TDIU based on these disabilities.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and his left shoulder disability is also rated at 20 percent. Both disabilities are denied for higher ratings.,The Veteran's right knee arthritis and left knee arthritis have been rated at 10 percent each, and both are denied for higher ratings.