Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board found that the Veteran's remaining service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the denial of his appeal for restoration of TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lower back disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and right shoulder disability due to insufficient medical opinions and potential failure to obtain all relevant records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder condition and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, but the provided evidence does not establish a link between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative arthritis, claimed as secondary to bilateral pes planus, is denied.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20 percent rating for service-connected left shoulder tendonitis is denied as there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity of the condition during the one-year period prior to his March 27, 2021, claim.

The Veteran's cholesterol, right wrist arthritis, left ankle disability, and blood condition were not incurred during active duty service.,The Veteran's bilateral shoulder arthritis, left wrist arthritis, right ankle disability, and left arm scar pain do not have a current diagnosis.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a left shoulder disability due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology and aggravation by his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The appeal seeking to revise the June 19, 2001 rating decision that denied an initial compensable rating for a right shoulder disability is denied.

The Board has remanded all issues on appeal due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the etiology of various service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining STRs and providing medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 30, 2020 for the grant of service connection for a right shoulder disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent disabling and service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood are remanded due to inadequate examination reports and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left shoulder and left knee disabilities due to inadequate examination reports, failure to address pain during range of motion testing, and need for retrospective opinions regarding functional loss prior to April 20, 2022.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claim of service connection for a LEFT shoulder disorder and cervical spine disorder, as well as the denial of SMC at the K-rate on account of 'loss of use' of the LEFT foot.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including persistent depressive disorder with other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, chronic headaches, right shoulder impingement syndrome with rotator cuff tendonitis, degenerative arthritis of the spine, left knee strain with bursitis, chronic right knee strain, left ankle lateral collateral ligament strain, chronic right ankle sprain, allergic conjunctivitis, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities. As such, TDIU is granted from August 26, 2020.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities have each been assigned a 10 percent disability rating under the current criteria. The Board has found that there is no evidence of flexion limited to 30 degrees or less, which would warrant an increased 20 percent rating.,For the cardiovascular disability (stroke) and left shoulder disability claims, additional medical opinions are needed as the VA examiners did not address relevant in-service symptoms and findings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ankle, right knee, left knee, left shoulder, low back, and upper back conditions due to insufficient evidence on record.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is denied for psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee.,Service connection was not established for a psychiatric disability, sleep apnea, or high blood pressure due to lack of evidence of such conditions during the pendency of the claim. Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed. The Board found no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service, and the Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to establish a link between his current disabilities and service.,The Veteran was also denied an increased rating for duodenitis with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), as there is no evidence showing severe symptoms that would warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date than March 9, 2021, for the grant of service connection for right shoulder disability has been withdrawn and is dismissed.

The appeal regarding the correct implementation of the Board's decision is dismissed as the benefits sought have already been granted in full.