Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot disorder, right shoulder disorder, and left shoulder disorder.,Service connection is also granted for these conditions based on direct evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of his left shoulder disability has been dismissed due to the withdrawal by his attorney.

The Board has granted effective dates of August 24, 2018 for the award of a 40 percent disability rating for both right shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint separation and osteolysis and left shoulder bicipital tendon tear with rotator cuff tendonitis status post labral tear SLAP superior labral anterior-posterior lesion.

The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, left shoulder condition, thoracic condition, and CKD have been granted with effective dates of July 5, 2024, but no earlier. The Veteran also received a 30 percent rating for CKD as of October 6, 2025.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and a need for additional examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors and inadequate medical opinions. The issues of entitlement to TDIU are also being remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Board denied service connection for multiple disabilities, including neck, back, left foot, left knee, right knee, right foot, and right shoulder disabilities. The Board found insufficient evidence to support presumptive or secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities due to incomplete records and potential errors in the RO decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including APD, right shoulder strain, left shoulder condition, cervical neck pain, scoliosis, and migraines. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims based on the lack of in-service injury or diagnosis.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions that consider all relevant evidence of record, including the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left wrist condition, right wrist condition, and left knee condition. The Veteran's sleep apnea is also found to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the AOJ's determination of a regulatory bar to VA compensation benefits based on willful and persistent misconduct is incorrect due to recent amendments allowing for an evaluation of compelling circumstances, including mental and cognitive impairment as possible mitigating factors. The Board finds it necessary to remand these service connection claims for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of competent medical evidence and because the VA examiner who provided the April 2024 VA examinations and opinions was challenged as not being qualified. The Veteran is also not yet afforded VA examinations for his claimed cervical spine and left shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's motion to revise the August 2013 rating decision on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) is dismissed because the prior decision was not final.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder condition and a lumbar spine condition, finding that these conditions first manifested in service and are related to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for neck disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, and left shoulder disability due to a failure to request medical examinations or obtain medical opinions. The claims are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for loss of tooth due to trauma, left shoulder recurrent dislocation, and left shoulder limitation of motion was denied. The rating for left shoulder recurrent dislocation is set at 20 percent, while the rating for left shoulder limitation of motion remains at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for psychiatric disorder, right shoulder condition, and right knee condition due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at 10 percent, but the Board finds no evidence of more than a moderate limitation of motion.,The Veteran does not have hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's right shoulder and knee disabilities are not related to service.,The Veteran's left knee and right knee disabilities are not related to service.