Shoulder decisions — 2024

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus is granted, but the other claims of service connection are remanded due to lack of evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability evaluation for bilateral plantar fasciitis prior to February 7, 2021. The Veteran's left shoulder strain and dry eye syndrome remain under review.,The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of her left shoulder strain and dry eye syndrome are remanded due to inadequate examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including right ear hearing loss, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, lumbar spine disability, neck disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability. The reasons include inadequate medical opinions and need for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for CRPS of the left lower extremity is denied. The claims for service connection for secondary disorders, including headaches and hypertension, are also denied.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy are currently rated at 20 percent, but no higher. The Board finds a remand is necessary to obtain VA examinations for the remaining issues.,Service connection for right shoulder joint pain, right hand chronic pain (claimed as arthritis and psoriatic arthritis), right knee chronic pain (claimed as arthritis and psoriatic arthritis), and right ankle chronic pain (claimed as arthritis and psoriatic arthritis) are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, including whether it is related to service or secondary to his service-connected low back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disorders, as well as arthritis of the left and right hips due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further clarification and examination regarding the Veteran's right shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss. The claims will be reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected tinnitus was denied, as the symptoms do not represent an exceptional or unusual case warranting an extraschedular evaluation. The appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected painful scar, status post right shoulder surgery was also denied due to the presence of only one painful scar and no underlying soft tissue damage.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disorder is denied. The evidence does not show that the Veteran's current diagnoses began during service or are related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,For the period prior to March 9, 2020, the criteria for a rating in excess of 40 percent for PTSD with mild neurocognitive disorder and severe alcohol use disorder and TBI are not met. For the period from March 9, 2020, to August 29, 2022, the criteria for a 70 percent rating are met.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to inadequate previous examinations and the need for retrospective findings that fully satisfy the requirements of Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016), Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, lower back disability, and right shoulder disability have been granted. The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether each condition is related to service.,Service connection has been established for all three conditions: tinnitus, lumbar spine arthritis (lower back disability), and right shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back, bilateral pes planus, right knee, and left knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection for hypertension is also remanded as there are conflicting opinions regarding its onset.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding medical records and potential TERA exposure. The Veteran is also seeking increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which require additional examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left elbow medial epicondylitis, right elbow medial epicondylitis, and left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active service, specifically periods of combat.

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability was not caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or fault. The event that led to his disability (surgery for basal cell carcinoma) was not reasonably foreseeable.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and evaluations of various wrist and shoulder disabilities due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for new examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability and a bilateral shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him substantially confined to his dwelling, the immediate premises, a ward or clinical area of an institution due to a service-connected condition. He does not have one disability that is rated as totally disabling and an additional disability or disabilities that are independently rated or ratable as at least 60 percent disabling.