Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy, secondary to a nonservice connected cervical spine disorder and service-connected lumbosacral spine strain with degenerative joint disease, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for increased rating for left shoulder chronic strain is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for left shoulder degenerative arthritis and right knee strain due to errors in fulfilling the duty to assist. Additional medical records are needed, including those from Geisinger Orthopedics and Dr. Rasheed. The appellant also needs new examinations to assess the severity of his disabilities.

The appeal as to the issues of service connection for tinnitus, low back disorder, stress, migraine headaches, and allergies is dismissed.,Nine new claims are being remanded: GERD, fatigue, bilateral plantar fasciitis, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder (including impingement), right wrist disorder, left wrist disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disorders because the evidence did not show a current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD-TBI with traumatic brain injury is granted a 70 percent disability rating effective November 15, 2018. Service connection for cervical strain, lumbosacral strain, right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, and sleep apnea are also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient rationale in the June 2019 VA opinions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a qualified individual to address whether the Veteran's left and right shoulder, and bilateral elbow conditions are related to his military service, specifically including exposure to hazardous materials while serving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left shoulder disorders, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and lumbar spine disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities or a link between any such disabilities and service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and his right knee disability is rated at 10 percent. Both conditions are denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The appeals for service connection of various foot and shoulder conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder pain and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and he is now rated at a 70 percent disability rating for his psychiatric condition. The Veteran also received grants for the service connection of various disabilities including right hand carpal tunnel, left hand carpal tunnel, right knee, left knee, and left shoulder conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his left shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran requesting to withdraw the appeal for left shoulder scars.,For the period on appeal, the Veteran's left shoulder disability is manifested by limitation of motion at shoulder level with flexion and/or abduction limited to 90 degrees. The Veteran's other impairment of humerus did not manifest by fibrous union, nonunion, or loss of head.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions were dismissed as the issues were improperly docketed and not properly appealed to the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee disorders and low back disorder, prevented him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment consistent with his education and experience. The Board found that the combined effects of these conditions made it impossible for the Veteran to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, and bilateral Morton's neuroma.,Service connection is established for these conditions based on direct evidence of their onset during or shortly after service.

The Veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome and right elbow strain are granted as service-connected.,Both conditions were present during the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation of their shoulder disability has been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee and right shoulder disabilities are related to his service-connected right ankle disability, but further development is needed to address these claims due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claim for left shoulder scars was granted with an effective date of April 16, 2024. The Board found that the earlier effective date is not warranted as the Veteran did not have a scar disability until his TDIU claim in April 2024.