Shoulder decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various disabilities, including hearing loss, psychiatric conditions, sleep apnea, GERD, ulcers, prostate issues, hyperlipidemia, neck, back, ankle, elbow, eye glaucoma, foot, hip, shoulder, wrist, and knee disabilities are being remanded due to incomplete records and need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for low back, left shoulder, right knee, and right ankle disabilities have been remanded due to inadequate VA examinations conducted in August 2020. The Board requires new VA examinations with retrospective opinions to address the functional loss and additional impairment during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right shoulder condition and low back condition due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's private physician provided opinions supporting a nexus between his current conditions and service, but these opinions were not based on consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 50 percent from April 1, 2023. The Board found that the condition resulted in severe painful motion or weakness and granted a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left shoulder, spondylolisthesis (claimed as a back disability), and right wrist disabilities due to insufficient evidence addressing their etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a left shoulder disability due to insufficient evidence, specifically an inadequate VA examination and lack of lay assertions pointing to a particular physical training injury during the period of activated service.

The Board has denied earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome, right hip strain (limitation of extension), and right hip strain (limitation of flexion). The claims for low back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and migraine-headaches are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right lower leg pain, left lower leg pain, and left shoulder pain on a direct basis.,Service connection was also granted for headache disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right hip condition, left hip condition, and left shoulder condition due to inadequate VA examinations that did not address whether these conditions are related to his service-connected knee and ankle disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist, left wrist, neck, and right shoulder disabilities on a direct basis.,An initial compensable rating of nonallergic rhinitis is denied from April 1, 2022 to May 24, 2023.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder osteoarthritis with rotator cuff tendonitis and dislocation, but has remanded the issues of service connection for left shoulder disorder and left ankle disorder due to outstanding VA records.

The Veteran is granted entitlement to specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, which preclude locomotion without the aid of a cane. The issue of eligibility for a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Board has granted service connection for multilevel disc degeneration and disc protrusions of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulder DJD, tinea cruris, tinea pedis, and persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress. The decision is based on credible lay evidence that these conditions began during or are related to active duty service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, and a right shoulder disability due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder strain with bicipital tendonitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, finding that there is not an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, and will need an addendum opinion from the VA examiner.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and need for clarification regarding the Veteran's service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are denied. The AOJ is directed to obtain a VA medical examination addressing the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions, specifically plantar fasciitis in the left foot.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disorder but has remanded his claims for back, bilateral knee disorders due to insufficient etiological opinions in previous examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for residual scar, bilateral gynecomastia, service connection for a right shoulder disability, and entitlement to TDIU have been withdrawn by the Veteran's representative. As a result, these issues are dismissed.