Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left shoulder disability and there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to service. Therefore, service connection for a left shoulder disability is denied.

The Board has identified several duty-to-assist errors and is remanding the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records, lack of proper notification, and inadequate examinations.

The Board denied the appeal because the Veteran's request for a higher-level review of the April 16, 2012 decision was untimely.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder labral tear with degenerative arthritis and supraspinatus tendinopathy is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for initial disability evaluations in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected left and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of consideration of the ameliorative effects of medication on the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, congestive heart failure, right shoulder disability, and left knee disability are all granted as service-connected. The Board found that the evidence supported a direct relationship between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for the listed conditions, and the Board has dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings for left shoulder condition and lumbar spine condition due to incomplete record development. The Veteran is required to provide authorization for VA to obtain private treatment records from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville and another institution identified as Jacksonville Orthopedic.

The Veteran's GERD is granted a 30% rating, effective May 13, 2019. The TBI and posttraumatic migraine headaches are both granted increased ratings of 30%, but the right lower leg muscle injury and sleep apnea claims are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been withdrawn, and the cases of right elbow, left elbow, neck, right shoulder, left shoulder, and sleep apnea disabilities are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder disabilities, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses of right shoulder impingement syndrome and left shoulder strain had their onset in service.

The Veteran's recurrent right shoulder degenerative changes to include chronic pain are granted as secondary to the service-connected left shoulder osteoarthritis. The effective date for the award of service connection for lumbosacral strain is set at April 23, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of a right shoulder disability and thus the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not eligible for benefits under VA's PCAFC program as he does not require personal care services due to inability to perform ADLs or need for supervision, protection, or instruction.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and left shoulder impingement syndrome, finding no current diagnosed disabilities that meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, left upper extremity radiculopathy, right upper extremity radiculopathy, migraines, cervical spine disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability. However, no new evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for a left ankle disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, or any other musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, headaches, cervical strain, left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, and tinea pedis have been denied. The effective date of the awards is October 13, 2022.

The Veteran's cervical spondylosis and lumbosacral spine degenerative changes with spasm are rated at the maximum allowed under VA guidelines. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent disability rating for his left shoulder status post rotator cuff repair and Mumford procedure, right shoulder impingement status post subacromial decompression, hemorrhoids, and chronic right ankle sprains status post excision ganglion cyst with residual scar.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder strain and right shoulder strain, finding that the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder strains are related to his military occupational duties.