Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to engage and retain substantially gainful employment, thus the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to insufficient evidence. The lumbosacral strain claim is denied, and the hearing loss claim is also denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions and failure to consider all relevant evidence. The claims will be reconsidered on their merits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder impingement syndrome with degenerative arthritis were denied, and the effective dates for these awards are not earlier than November 24, 2020.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for neck, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities. Service connection is denied for low back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left hip disabilities, including as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions considering all evidence of record.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability but remanded the right shoulder disability due to insufficient medical evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records. The issues of TBI, psychiatric disability, sleep impairment, headache, vestibular disorder, shoulder disabilities, knee, ankle, foot, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy will be reconsidered.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left shoulder disability, GERD, and inguinal hernia. The Veteran was not granted a TDIU prior to April 1, 2020.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with anxious distress and traumatic brain injury has rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since January 2022, qualifying for a TDIU. Additionally, the Veteran is in receipt of SMC at the housebound rate due to additional service-connected disabilities. The claim for bilateral pes planus remains pending as it involves duty to assist errors.

The Board has denied service connection for GERD, an acquired psychiatric disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and back disability as the evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for buttocks pain, rectal dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, non-union left elbow chip fracture with resolution of elbow effusion and osteoarthritis associated with history of lumbosacral strain with disk herniation at L4-5 and L5-S1 and DDD, and left shoulder strain have all been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right hip numbness, left hip numbness, a disability of the right foot toes, a disability of the left foot toes, a sleep disorder to include sleep apnea, hypertension, SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance, and an effective date prior to August 20, 2002 have been remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU and DEA benefits were granted effective March 29, 2021. The effective date for these decisions is based on the date of receipt of a formal claim or an informal claim that was interpreted as such.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to new and relevant evidence received. The Board finds that the Veteran has a back condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, right wrist condition, left wrist condition, and asthma related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not result in an employment handicap, thus he is not eligible for VR&E services.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder degenerative arthritis and has remanded the issue of right shoulder disability, including bursitis and degenerative arthritis. The decision is based on insufficient evidence to establish a link between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder and back scar were granted service connection, while the claims for left lower extremity radiculopathy involving femoral and sciatic nerves had earlier effective dates of January 17, 2019.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's right ankle, right knee, left shoulder, and low back disabilities, except for a 20 percent rating for the right knee with effusion into the joint effective September 26, 2020, and a 60 percent rating for post-prosthetic replacement of the right knee effective December 1, 2021.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is proximately due to his service-connected migraine headaches, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, right shoulder bicipital tendonitis, rotator cuff tear with glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis and degenerative arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the spine, temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ), chronic, left ankle post traumatic degenerative joint disease, right hip trochanteric pain/bursitis syndrome (extension), and right hip trochanteric pain/bursitis syndrome (flexion).

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders as they did not comply with the claims processing rules and are procedural defects.