Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative arthritis and IVDS of the lumbar spine, left shoulder disability, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since April 27, 2023. Effective as of that date, he is granted a TDIU and SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to a duty-to-assist error in prior VA examinations. The Veteran's subjective reports of pain will be considered, and a new opinion is needed regarding the likely etiology of his left shoulder, elbow, or wrist disorders.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and causation of his left shoulder, low back, and neck conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, PTSD, right foot disability, left foot disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, and low back disability. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the VA Form 10182 did not specify a specific issue to appeal, and there were no decisions within one year of the form that could be appealed.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and a temporary total rating for treatment from April 1, 2022 is denied.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, was caused or aggravated by his military service.,His bilateral shoulder strain developed as a result of his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for Crohn's disease, left shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis with strain, and right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis with labral tear, strain and subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis. A 10 percent rating is granted since September 7, 2021, for an upper back scar.

The Board has denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus type II, right toe disability, right shoulder strain, and hypertension. The Veteran's right toe disability was granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, right shoulder disability, thoracic disability, cervical disability, and sleep disability due to insufficient information about the Veteran's periods of active duty training (ADT) and inactive duty training (IDT).

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no substitution request was made within the required timeframe.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal prior to a scheduled hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and low back disorders must be remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA will obtain missing STRs, including any separation examination, and provide an adequate VA examination or medical opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder, including as secondary to service-connected left shoulder arthritis due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his in-service injury or disease.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities, and post-operative right ankle fracture as the evidence did not support a link to active service.

The Board has determined that there is new and relevant evidence for the claims of service connection for tinnitus, asthma on a facts-found basis, left shoulder condition, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability and left hip disability, including osteoarthritis. The lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities have been granted.,The Veteran's right shoulder and left hip disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for his scar of the left shoulder was dismissed.,His claim for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability, which resulted in malunion of the humerus with marked deformity and recurrent dislocations, is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a joint disorder including arthritis, other than for the right shoulder, finding that there is not sufficient evidence to establish a link between the condition and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding his service connection claims for right ankle, right shoulder, and neck disorders due to a finding that the February 2018 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was not timely filed.