Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the AOJ committed pre-decisional errors and has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee disability, chronic sinusitis (claimed as allergies), right shoulder strain, and left shoulder impingement due to potential errors in addressing theories of service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a left shoulder disability before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a right shoulder condition and neck condition due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance due to her service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that her service-connected conditions rendered her helpless or in need of regular aid and assistance.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, back disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining necessary medical records.,The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is also being remanded as there is insufficient information about his employment history.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Bilateral hearing loss is not granted as service-connected.,Diabetes mellitus, type II, is not granted as service-connected.,Right shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis is not granted as service-connected.,Left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis is not granted as service-connected.,Left hip arthritis is not granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for right shoulder strain with labral tear, including slap, glenohumeral joint dislocation, and Hills Sachs deformity is denied as the evidence does not show limitation of motion of the arm midway between side and shoulder level.

The appeal is dismissed because the Veteran did not identify a valid rating decision to disagree with, and his claims for service connection are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with effective dates of February 1, 2019. The conditions are deemed to be directly related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of a VA examination and opinion addressing the complete evidence of record, including STRs noting right shoulder pain in service, post-service medical evidence regarding osteoarthritis, and the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board denied service connection for left knee and left shoulder disabilities, finding no evidence of in-service injuries or diseases that could be linked to the current conditions. The onset of symptoms was many years after service separation.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and a bilateral shoulder condition, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder condition and neck condition, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.,The Veteran's radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremity was reduced from 20% to noncompensable effective March 1, 2021.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased rating and service connection claims due to his withdrawal of these appeals in an April 2024 statement.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities, including a bilateral eye disability, left shoulder disability, right ankle disability, right knee disability, right elbow disability, tinnitus, and TBI due to duty-to-assist errors in scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for right knee, back, neck, and right shoulder disabilities due to inadequate VA opinions and failure to obtain relevant medical records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection of multiple disabilities, including right shoulder, left shoulder, cervical spine, left ankle, right ankle, and left foot disabilities. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service treatment records are incomplete and have not been fully associated with his claims file. The Board is therefore remanding the case to obtain any outstanding service treatment records.