Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability and an inguinal hernia, finding no evidence of a direct link to his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right foot disabilities due to lack of new and relevant evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder condition as secondary to service-connected right elbow conditions. However, the Veteran's hypertension claim is denied.,The OSA claim is remanded and will be addressed by a VA medical opinion.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of deviated nasal septum and Hashimoto's conditions. Service connection is granted for left shoulder, right shoulder, and lumbosacral conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right leg condition, right knee condition, and left shoulder condition due to lack of current disability. The claims are being remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck disability, left shoulder disability, and headaches as these conditions are etiologically related to the Veteran's in-service motor vehicle accident.

The Veteran's right shoulder scars were granted service connection effective November 4, 2013. However, the claim for a compensable rating was denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right flatfoot were granted. The claim for shoulder impingement syndrome, left was remanded due to the need for a medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis has been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of its occurrence during or shortly after his military service.,The Veteran's appeal seeking an initial compensable rating for headaches was dismissed due to the lack of timely filing and concurrent election issues. The issue will be remanded for further consideration.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diverticulosis/IBS (formerly GERD) has been dismissed as it is no longer pending at the Board level after a grant by the Board in February 2025, effective from January 23, 2021.,The Veteran's appeal seeking an initial compensable rating for CTS was dismissed due to concurrent election issues. The issue will be remanded for further consideration.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD has been granted by the Board in February 2025, effective from January 23, 2021. The appeal is dismissed as this represents a full grant of the benefit sought on appeal.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral pes planus/plantar fasciitis and CTS were remanded due to concurrent election issues. These issues will be addressed in a future rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for TBI was not on appeal as it was predecisional error not to address the current rating issue. The issue is remanded for further consideration.,The Veteran's appeal seeking an earlier effective date for the award of a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches will be considered in a future decision.

The Veteran's cystic kidney disease is granted with a 30 percent rating, effective August 9, 2023. The Veteran's left knee disability, left shoulder disability, low back disability, and sleep apnea are denied. Polycythemia is granted with a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder strain is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects her symptoms throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is being remanded due to a lack of adequate explanation in the VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran requires personal care services based on the criteria listed in 38 U.S.C. § 1720G(a)(2)(C) and 38 C.F.R. § 71.20(a)(3).

The Board has denied service connection for cervical strain, rotator cuff tendinitis of the left and right shoulders, left hip condition (including a total hip replacement), right hip condition, patellofemoral pain syndrome with osteoarthritis of the left knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the right knee, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition. The Board found that these conditions are not related to service.,The Veteran's assertions regarding the onset of his disabilities were not supported by medical evidence or continuity of symptoms.

The Board has reopened the service connection claims for residuals of lumbar strain, right shoulder strain, right wrist strain, bilateral ankle sprain with degenerative joint disease, and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD. The new evidence supports a finding that these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in not obtaining relevant VA treatment records and medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, right knee arthritis, and left shoulder arthritis. Service connection for a right shoulder disability is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current shoulder conditions.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including his anxiety disorder and various skin conditions. The decision also notes that additional medical evidence was submitted after the hearing but not considered in this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a non-initial increased rating in excess of 20 percent for his right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for such an increase.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and service connection for his low back disability is granted. The TDIU claim is remanded.