Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability and whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left knee, right knee, left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disorders to obtain an appropriate medical opinion on their etiology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds no evidence to warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's disabilities of the cervical spine, left ankle, left great toe, bilateral knees, right shoulder, and lumbar spine are not attributable to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to May 9, 2022, for service connection of low back pain, right shoulder instability, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been denied.,The Veteran's claims for initial ratings in excess of 40 percent for recurrent low back pain, 20 percent for right shoulder glenohumeral joint instability, 10 percent for left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome have been denied.,The evidence did not support findings of unfavorable ankylosis or other conditions that would warrant higher ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea and chronic fatigue syndrome as secondary to PTSD. The claims for low back, bilateral knee, and bilateral shoulder disabilities are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions, including a right shoulder condition and a right elbow condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial rating for his right shoulder disability, finding that December 23, 2016 was the earliest legally assignable effective date for service connection. The claim for an increased rating is also denied as there is no evidence of motion limitation sufficient to warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to pre-decisional errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist. The Board finds that additional examinations are needed for the hip, shoulder, neck pain, and jaw disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various foot, ankle, knee, back, neck, shoulder, and wrist disabilities as there is no current evidence of such conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of competent medical evidence on file, requiring a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence in the March 2022 VA medical examination and a need for additional development regarding the Veteran's National Guard/Reserve service. The AOJ should schedule a new VA examination to determine if any left shoulder disabilities are related to her active duty or Reserve service.

The Veteran's appeals regarding various conditions were dismissed as she did not file a timely VA Form 10182 within the allowed time frame.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms were found to have approximated total occupational and social impairment from June 15, 2020. The Board granted an earlier effective date of June 15, 2020 for a one hundred percent rating of PTSD. The claim of service connection for left shoulder disability is remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, sciatic neuropathy, and shoulder and knee disabilities have been denied by the Board.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from June 20, 2011, to include on an extraschedular basis due to service-connected PTSD, migraines, and right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), post-operative residuals of left acromioclavicular separation, right radius fracture residuals, hypertension, asthma, and a scar from shoulder surgery, have combined to make him unable to work. The Board has granted his claim for total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC), due to insufficient evidence of current disabilities related to service or functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for higher disability ratings are being remanded due to the AOJ not considering VA examinations conducted in September 2021, which were obtained after the initial rating decision.