Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine strain and right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or aggravation, and that any current disabilities are not related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right shoulder disability and associated scars, finding that they are related to an injury sustained during INACDUTRA.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions and records are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. The claims have been remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with AC joint sprain and lumbar spine arthritis are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all the listed conditions, and the Board dismissed these appeals as a result.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hearing loss and tinnitus, prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that a combined effects opinion is necessary to sufficiently address the Veteran's claim for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches, bilateral knee disabilities, and bilateral shoulder disabilities. The back disability claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for skin cancer, facial scars, impairment of cranial nerve V and VII, left eye condition with watering and dryness, and left shoulder pain due to a duty-to-assist error in obtaining an adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder tendonitis were denied. The effective date of service connection for the right shoulder tendonitis was granted on May 1, 2023, but no earlier. The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his right shoulder disability, major depressive disorder, and right ankle sprain are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from October 12, 2016 to November 12, 2018 and from January 1, 2019 to July 22, 2019 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted readjudication of the claims for service connection for a right hip injury and a right shoulder injury due to new and relevant evidence. The issues are now remanded for further review.

The Board has restored the 10 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the femoral nerve and sciatic nerve of the left lower extremity, granted service connection for various ankle, elbow, cervical, shoulder, and wrist disorders, and remanded the claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for gout in his bilateral feet, knees, and right elbow, as well as an upper back condition. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for a right shoulder condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and chronic sinusitis are not service-connected as there is no evidence of current disabilities.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed condition of left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, or shoulder arthritis.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a right shoulder disability and increased rating for bilateral flatfoot (pes planus) due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has determined that the RO made errors in its adjudication of several service connection claims, including neck strain, mid back strain, shoulder strains, knee strains, migraines, vertigo, chronic sinusitis, and chronic rhinitis. The Board finds that VA examinations and medical opinions are needed to address these issues on remand.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, including PTSD. The Veteran's TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for Parkinson's disease has been withdrawn and dismissed. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder, respiratory disorder, dermatological disorder (initially claimed as 'skin tags'), right knee disorder, left knee disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder are all being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for new VA examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected cervical spine, lumbar spine, left shoulder, and bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy disabilities. The examination results will be used to determine if increased ratings are warranted.