Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disorder, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left shoulder disorder, and right knee disorder due to a lack of current diagnoses and credible reports of in-service onset of symptoms.

The Veteran's left ankle deltoid ligament sprain has been granted a 20 percent disability evaluation, and no more. The cervical spine disorder and related issues have been remanded for further examination and determination.

Your appeal seeking service connection for cervical spine, low back, and left shoulder disorders has been dismissed. The Board found that this was a duplicate appeal of the same rating decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left shoulder disabilities due to an error in failing to provide notice of a pre-decisional hearing before issuing the January 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination.

The Board remands the claims for appropriate VA examinations to determine the current severity of the service-connected disabilities, including an estimate of range of motion lost due to pain and flare-ups.

The Board remands two claims for the same right shoulder disability covering two separate periods of time due to inadequate VA examinations.

The Board remands the claims for an increased rating for Reiter's syndrome and entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a scar on their left shoulder has been dismissed due to the Veteran's request to withdraw the issue.

The Board has denied service connection for multiple shoulder, elbow, neck, and hand disabilities as the evidence does not show any in-service injury or disease that could be linked to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss is granted, but he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his right ear hearing loss. The claims of service connection for right shoulder strain and left elbow condition are remanded.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The appeal for entitlement to a disability rating more than 20 percent for status-post right shoulder rotator cuff and biceps tendon repair prior to March 6, 2019 and greater than 30 percent thereafter was dismissed. The same applies to the issue of an initial disability rating more than 20 percent for right shoulder dislocation prior to September 13, 2019 and a compensable disability rating thereafter.

The Board granted service connection for recurrent moderate major depressive disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected plantar fasciitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae residual anterior neck scars, and right eye corneal scars.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinions are inadequate for adjudication purposes and thus, the case must be remanded to obtain a new medical opinion addressing causation and aggravation of the right shoulder disability by the service-connected left shoulder glenohumeral joint instability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board dismissed the appeal as untimely, finding that the notice of disagreement was submitted more than one year after the May 2019 rating decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, left-wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and right-wrist carpal tunnel syndrome due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, right upper extremity radiculopathy, and allergic rhinitis due to service connection as secondary to a service-connected right shoulder disability. The VA will provide new medical opinions on these issues.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service treatment records and military personnel records.