Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left shoulder and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete development. The Veteran's representative asserts that he is entitled to a separate rating for arthritis of the left shoulder, but this claim is not currently before the Board.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70% and his right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis is rated at 20%. The Board has remanded the case for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board denies a TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder impingement and right knee degenerative joint disease.,A compensable rating for erectile dysfunction is denied, as the Veteran's penis was not objectively examined to show penile deformity.

The Veteran's asthma and panic disorder with agoraphobia features, right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee chondromalacia, right shoulder rotator cuff tendinopathy, and thoracolumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease are all being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and nausea disabilities due to lack of current diagnoses and no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, TBI, and headaches have been denied. The Board has found no evidence of a current disability in these conditions.,For the right and left knee disabilities, the Veteran is being asked to provide additional medical evidence linking his current symptoms to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU were dismissed due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for anxiety disorder on/after February 27, 2017 was denied as the severity of his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claim for total disability based on individual unemployability prior to September 24, 2020 was also denied due to the presence of other service-connected disabilities that rendered him capable of obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thyroid disorder is denied as the evidence does not show that his current diagnosis of hypothyroidism began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and left shoulder conditions are also denied. The preponderance of the evidence shows no more than a 10 percent disability rating prior to January 15, 2020, and a 20 percent disability rating thereafter.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating for impingement syndrome. The Veteran's eczema has been rated at 60 percent since June 22, 2016. Migraine headaches are currently rated at 50 percent effective April 1, 2009 and TBI is rated at 50 percent effective December 3, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including unspecified depressive disorder, atypical headaches with features of migraines, chronic lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is granted as service-connected.,His hypertension does not warrant a compensable initial disability evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease and that any current condition is more likely due to wear and tear with aging.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for GERD, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and right shoulder disability have been denied. The VA has determined that the current symptoms do not warrant a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various hand, wrist, shoulder, and spine disorders have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's initial claim for increased ratings was denied. The Board upheld the denial of higher initial ratings for various disabilities, including arthritis and sarcoid arthropathy.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including treatment records from December 1991 onwards. The VA is also requested to obtain a retrospective medical opinion regarding the severity of his left shoulder disability during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and respiratory disabilities, as well as a compensable disability rating for his left ankle condition. The claims are being remanded.