Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been found to have aggravated his pre-existing osteoarthritis of the hips, shoulders, ankles, and hands.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, either alone or in combination, did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and experience for the appeal period prior to May 4, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation and determination of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, knee disabilities, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, shoulder disability, radiculopathy, hip disability, sinusitis, and deviated septum.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral strain and right shoulder disorder caused him to gain weight, which in turn led to his development of obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed as the NODs were not filed within a year of the AOJ's denials.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have not met the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to readjudicate his claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability due to new and relevant evidence. However, the appeal is still pending as further remand is required to obtain missing records and conduct an examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted service connection for any conditions, but his migraine headaches and neuropathy were found to be related to his service-connected lumbar strain with mild lumbar spondylosis.

The appeal is dismissed because the July 2023 HLR decision did not constitute a final appealable decision with respect to the claims for increased evaluations for the Veteran's service-connected left and right shoulder disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals regarding PTSD, shoulder conditions, and knee conditions have been dismissed due to the appellant withdrawing his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The appeal for an effective date earlier than August 6, 2023 for service connection of various conditions is denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as there was no factual basis to grant earlier effective dates.,The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, and right shoulder degenerative joint disease have all been rated at 20 percent since August 8, 2023.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected left shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and a retrospective medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis right shoulder (dominant) and cervical spine degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea and a left shoulder condition due to potential exposure to asbestos during military service. The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea is related to the PACT Act, which requires VA to provide an examination and medical opinion regarding the possibility of a nexus between the disability and the TERA (toxic exposure risk activity). For the left shoulder condition, the Board found that a physical trauma occurred in service but determined that an exception applies due to the nature of the claim. The Veteran will be scheduled for examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for left knee, right wrist, and right shoulder disabilities as there is no evidence of current disability during or recent to the filing of the claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure of the duty to assist in neglecting to schedule the Veteran for an examination to evaluate the nature and likely etiology of the claimed left shoulder condition. The Veteran did seek care for neurological symptoms impacting his left upper extremity while in service, which contradicts the previous determination.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals seeking service connection for various disabilities, and the Board dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused him to be in need of regular aid and attendance, which has been granted for special monthly compensation (SMC).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back pain, migraines, PTSD, right shoulder condition, melanoma of the skin, and asthma have all been denied. The Board found that there is no current evidence of a diagnosed disability in any of these cases.,There was insufficient medical evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for neck, left knee, right knee, and left shoulder conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran requesting withdrawal of his appeal prior to a decision being made.