Shoulder decisions — 2026

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for migraines, a left shoulder disability, a right elbow disability, a left wrist disability, and a bilateral ankle disability.

Your appeal has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of your appeal. As a result, no decision can be made on your claims.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals regarding the increased rating and earlier effective date for a 20 percent rating for limitation of motion in the right arm/shoulder.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a failure to notify the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing. The AOJ is instructed to provide the Veteran with notice concerning his right to a hearing and then re-adjudicate the claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left elbow, hand, and knee conditions related to gout have been granted. The claim for a left hip condition has been denied due to lack of current disability evidence. Service connection for the left shoulder condition is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disability were dismissed due to improper concurrent elections.,The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of back, sciatic nerve, right shoulder, foot, skin, left-hand, or right-hand disabilities. The claim for headaches was also denied.

The Veteran is granted increased rates of special monthly compensation (SMC) for his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea, left shoulder bursitis and arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss, effective April 11, 2022.

The Veteran's combined disabilities, including her service-connected conditions, prevented her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since February 14, 2011. Effective January 18, 2018, the VA granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including back pain and arthritis of the neck, left foot, right foot, left hand, right hand, and right shoulder. The Veteran's testimony regarding in-service injuries was inconsistent with the record.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder condition, finding it directly related to the Veteran's military service. The effective date is October 24, 2025.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing records and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining any necessary records.

The Board dismissed the appeals for right and left upper extremity radiculopathy, as well as an increased rating for a left shoulder disability due to the invalid form signed by an unauthorized representative.

The Veteran's service connection claim for sinusitis is granted, and the increased rating claim for left shoulder labral tear is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee, left shoulder, and neck disabilities due to a deficiency in the record prior to the decision on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection and increased ratings for PTSD, sleep apnea, right knee disability, limitation of left knee extension, limitation of left knee flexion, and left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, Reiter's syndrome, and lumbar spine disability have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability for VA purposes and that his service-connected disabilities do not warrant an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The effective date of the grants of service connection was July 13, 2022.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and potential gaps in documented medical treatment.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient examination results. The remaining issues of service connection have been denied.